


Campaign 1: A Brave New World

by keroseneinablender



Series: The Devil is a Role-Player [1]
Category: Hataraku Maou-Sama! | The Devil Is a Part-Timer!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-03
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-04-18 10:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 49
Words: 43,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4703201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keroseneinablender/pseuds/keroseneinablender
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This campaign covers the first light novel in the series The Devil is a Part-Timer, told as the exploits of a group of role-players in their off-the-rails fantasy campaign.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work makes liberal use of quotes and dialogue from the canon. Specifically, I'm using the YenPress translation of the light novels. Except where I think someone else translated it better or if YenPress's translation does quite work with the story I'm telling. Also, text colour is used to indicate which character is speaking in this work, so I recommend enabling work skins before reading this, or the comprehensibility is going to go waaaaaay downhill.
> 
> Character Index:  
> Maou - Red  
> Ashiya - Murky yellow  
> Urushihara - Purple  
> Emi - Maroon  
> Chiho - Orange  
> Rika - Green  
> Suzuno - Blue  
> The GM - Black

Before we start I have someone I would like to introduce you all to.

Hello.

She heard I was GMing a campaign and wanted to join in. I told her it would be best if she sat in on a few play sessions of ours first since this campaign is a little bit special.

That’s putting it kinda mildly, don’t you think?

Yes, but really this campaign is the sort of special that has to be seen to be believed. So just take seat anywhere you want to. Anyway, we were in the apartment, right?

My Devil’s Castle, yes.

Devil’s Castle?

He’s roleplaying a demon king, conveniently named Satan.

And I’m roleplaying his loyal Demon General Alciel. So, to start what does our accounting ledger look like, since I’m in charge of that?

Your bank account is basically empty.

Why?

_You_ used up all the money.

On what?

Well first it was the refrigerator, which you deemed mandatory so your food wouldn’t spoil during the summer. After that came the bicycle, which you got for the commute to your part job,

That was really cheap though.

And then there’s the washing machine you decided to by, because apparently using the laundromat was too much hassle. And you bought all of this with cash.

Isn’t there anything I can buy with what’s left?

A stick of gum, _barely_.

“You should be more careful with how you spend your money, you understand.”

Why are you getting involved in this?

Because we are role-playing here, right? Alciel would totally admonish you for reckless spending.

So that was in character?

Obviously.

Fine. So,

“What, did you want me getting sick off rotten food all summer, then? You want me to wear the same outfit everyday?!”

“I said nothing like that. But think about this. Your account might be exhausted, but you do have a job, yes? And a steady one at that. It would be simple to figure out your income for the next few months. You could have easily paid for all this on credit.”

“Don’t like taking loans.”

That’s really the best justification you can come up with for spending all your character’s money?

“Plus, there’s all kinds of fees and things for that! I don’t like paying for things that I can’t see and feel with my own hands. Never spend money you don’t actually have. I hate debt. If there’s no money, you shouldn’t use it. Buy stuff all at once with cash in hand, or don’t buy it.”

Better, but Alciel’s still going to have something to say about it. I get up from the table and move towards the fridge. I place my hand on the door.

“Your Demonic Highness, let me ask you this.”

I open the fridge

“How do you plan to survive until your next payday on a block of konnyaku gel, a cucumber, and a carton of milk?”

Especially since somebody decided we can actually starve to death now.

Don’t blame me, blame the dice.

Sure.

“I-I’m not completely broke yet. There’s still some money in my wallet.”

Yeah, you can still buy a stick of gum.

Shut up.

That isn’t really an adequate response anyway.

*sigh*

“I, uh, I could always grab some extra food from my job...”

“Oh, so you plan to go all _Super Size Me_ every meal from now on until your next paycheck? Do you think that would be the best thing for your health?”

You don’t let up do you?

I am meticulous and completely devoted to our goal of conquest.

So that means you need to nag me?

Yes. So do you have a rebuttal or have I won this argument?

“It...it’s still young, this body”

“And I wonder how young it will look after a decade of daily high-calorie, high-cholesterol cuisine! When we finally make our triumphant return, hopefully you won’t require a mobility scooter!”

Well, that would match up with how the rest of this campaign has gone so far.

There’s no need for that.

“Also, you should know that time has different effects on this body than the one from before. Ten years as a human being might not _seem_ very long, but it is. Your health is a surprisingly fragile thing, Your Demonic Highness. Are you planning for that at all?”

You’re still going?

“All right, all right! Lay off me a second! I’m not, all right?! Are you happy now?! And anyway! It’s not only _my_ fault I’m like this right now!”

Why does that comment feel like it was directed at me?

“Yes. Of course, my liege. There is no apologizing for the shame that has befallen us. But it was you, as our one and only Devil King, who decided we should bide our time and wait for the moment to rise once more. And in the meantime, you must be diligent in your work and retaining your health. And I fear you are failing at both.”

You really don’t let up, do you? I turn my head to side.

Finally acknowledging regret for your behaviour are you?

“Gah! It’s time for work!”

Apparently not.

I get to my feet and rush out of the room.

“M-my liege! Wait! We still need to talk...”

I pursue.

“Save it, Alciel! If it’s more complaints, I’ll listen to it when I get back!”

I continue my pursuit.

I slam the door.

Roll to see if the door hits you.

14.

You stop a few inches away from smashing your nose against the door.

What’s the weather like?

It’s raining.

I open the door, and extend my hand towards Alciel.

“Rain! Umbrella!”

I hand over the umbrella.

Without saying anything?

What good would it do at this point?

Well, none really.

“Thanks! See you!”

I head down the stairs to where Dullahan waits.

Roll.

Right, 17.

You pass without incident.

“Dullahan! My beloved mount! We’re off!”

I still can’t believe you named the bike Dullahan.

I’ve got to make that Dullahan chariot driver’s license count for something.

Just because you called the bike a Dullahan does not make it a Dullahan!

Whatever, I ride off on the Dullahan, carrying the umbrella.

I go back inside the apartment.

The doorbell rings.

I open the door again.

It’s the MHK TV-fee collection agent.

“...I’m sorry, we don’t own a television here.”

“Certainly. I just thought I would check. If you do purchase one, please bring this payment slip to the bank, if you could”

The collection agent hands over a blank envelope and leaves.

Hang on a second, this _is_ a fantasy campaign, right?

Well it _was_.

There’s no need for that. It was a brilliant move to save our characters and you know it.

What _happened_?

It’s a rather long story.

I’m going to need to know if I’m actually going to join this campaign.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, our campaign began on the vast sprawling continents of Ente Isla. Despite the vastness of this land not a single member of the populace did not know of Satan, the Devil King. His sole ambition was to conquer Ente Isla, enslave the foolish humans who dwelled upon it, and transform into a paradise for his dark legions.

Don’t do things halfway do you?

Nope!

The Devil King had four faithful generals serving under him. Their names were Alciel, Lucifer, Adramelech and Malacoda.

And that’s who everyone else here was roleplaying right?

No, I’m actually roleplaying a human Hero.

Lucifer’s role-player isn’t here right now. He stormed out in a huff a few play sessions ago and has so far refused to come back.

I said I was sorry about that spot check but apparently it wasn’t enough.

What spot check?

We’ll get to it. Returning to Ente Isla, it is composed of a large central landmass floating in the Ocean of Ignora...

Why is it you insist on stating the ocean’s name every time it is brought up?

...Surrounded by four islands pointing in each cardinal direction. The Devil King deployed his generals to conquer these islands, Adramelech to the north, Alciel to the east, Lucifer to west and Malacoda to the south. The demon armies advanced and the future looked grim for the humans of Ente Isla until...

I joined the campaign.

...A human woman calling herself a Hero rallied the last remaining human survivors on Ente Isla’s western continent and routed the Demon General Lucifer’s forces. This came as a shock to the Devil King, as he had thought Lucifer would have had little difficulty conquering the divinely assisted Western Continent, what with his being a fallen angel and all...

Look, I know you put in a lot of effort into helping work out Lucifer’s backstory, but the Hero killed him, there’s no need to go into that much detail about him.

I only mortally wounded him, you’re the one who failed an extremely easy spot check and failed to rescue your loyal general.

That die is normally really lucky, I don’t know why it suddenly decided to role a 1!

No wonder you get blamed for Lucifer’s death.

I wasn’t the one who stabbed him though!

Despite this great loss...

Let it go, already!

...The Devil King was confident that his remaining forces would be able to make short work of this so-called Hero. A terrible misjudgment on his part. Soon, both Adramelech and Malacoda fell before the Hero’s holy sword...

Hence why we’re over here writing out new character sheets.

And why I had Alciel suggest falling back to the Central Continent to wage a defensive war against the Hero’s forces.

But the humans of Ente Isla, rallying behind the hero and the church she served, overran the Devil King’s forces even there. Soon Satan and Alciel found themselves facing off against the Hero and her three companions...

Where all three of them NPCs?

Yep, but even so with their help I was able to get close enough to the Devil King to slice off one of his horns.

At which point I advised retreat before we ended up having to write out new character sheets as well.

As Devil King it was an agonizing decision for me to make, but I eventually decided the demonic forces would flee Ente Isla. So I used my mighty magical powers and opened a Gate to another world just before the hero could land a mortal blow.

But because you had been weakened by your battle with the Hero, it ended up being left to the dice to decide where you ended up, and they chose Japan. Modern day Japan. And because you determined that trying to open another Gate would be too risky, you decided to stay there.

Who knows where I would’ve ended up had I left it to the dice again?

Even though being in Japan drained your magical powers and left you trapped in the form of human beings.

What happened to them once they got Japan?

They got questioned by the police...

Upon whom I used hypnosis to gain information about the strange new world we found ourselves in...

...And finding themselves without a means of replenishing their magical powers, they decided to survive in this world as best they could...

He decided that, I just went along with it.

...And that meant living within the laws of Japan. So they got papers, set up a bank account, bought an apartment and endeavored to get jobs so that might get money for food.

Something you seem to have been really successful at.

We found out about the new starvation mechanic after His Demonic Highness wound up hospitalized for malnutrition.

Plus, we could only get entry level jobs because, apparently, I can’t write ‘Former Occupation: King of the Demon Realm’ on my resume.

Again, how do you think people would react to that? Then they made an actual fairly reasonable decision, they decided that only his Highness would work, while Alciel looked for ways to recover their magic so that they could return to conquering the humans of Ente Isla.

After working through a string of temp positions, I was finally able to land a permanent part-time position, the fast food giant MgRonald’s.

MgRonald’s?

I decided to go with an our-world-but-not-really approach to the Japan they found themselves in.

Ah.

Meanwhile, I stayed at home doing housework and managing our finances, searching for a means to recover our magic in my spare time.

As I work my way up the MgRonald’s wage ladder on my way to world domination!

Which brings us to the current situation, a roleplay of daily life in the ‘Devil’s Castle’ Which is really a tiny, dilapidated apartment. Anyway, Alciel the MHK TV collection agent just handed you an envelope.

No wonder you commented on a demon king riding a mobility scooter not really being out of place for this campaign.


	3. Chapter 3

I fling payment slip mail holder.

You’re not going to open it?

What’s the point really? After all I have an art gallery and a museum to research today.

What?

Researching the cultures of this world I discovered many cultures that have the potential to be magical, so right now I’m examining any relics I can find to see if they resonate magic we can use.

And how’s that been going for you?

It’s a total bust right now. I grab an umbrella and head outside, but not before locking the apartment door.

Why did you feel the need to lock the door? It’s not like you have anything of value to steal.

You can never be too careful.

Before you head down the stairs to the street, you feel as though you are being shaken.

Another earthquake, huh?

Yep.

Do those happen a lot?

Well they are in Japan, after all.

I wait to move until the earthquake ends.

The shaking ceases after about 10 seconds.

I put the house key in my pocket and head down the stairs. I role an 18.

You also pass without incident.

I begin my walk to the museum.


	4. Chapter 4

Satan, on your way to work, you stop your bike in a residential intersection about one block from Koshu-Keido road. Across the street you see a woman under a restaurant’s rain canopy. She is staring up at the sky, clearly annoyed. It seems she wasn’t prepared for the rain. Even when the light turns green she remains under the canopy.

I dismount Dullahan and walk it across the street.

The woman notices you for the first time.

I nod lightly at her before ducking under the canopy with her, making certain to keep the Dullahan between us. I fold up the plastic umbrella and offer it to her.

The woman seems confused and unsure of how to proceed. Now that you are closer to her you can see that this woman is actually quite young, maybe even high school age.

“Oh, I...it just started so suddenly, so I thought you might need it.”

“But...are you sure? I can’t just take this from you...”

“Oh, no, I work right nearby here, so...It’s only about two or three minutes by bike. We’ve got more umbrellas over there.”

The woman nervously takes the umbrella.

I get back on Dullahan.

“Um, thank you very much, I’d like to repay you somehow...”

“Forget about it. It’s kind of junky anyway. You go ahead and toss it once you’re done with it.”

“Oh, I couldn’t just...”

“Well, how about this? I work at the MgRonald right nearby here, so why don’t you stop by for a bite to eat sometime?”

You’re really going to make a sales pitch to an NPC?

I take my role as a MgRonald’s employee very seriously, you know that.

“Right nearby...? You mean the one by Hatagaya station?”

“Yeah. I’ll give you an upsize on the special fries we got right now, if I’m there.”

Special fries?

Um, yeah...There’s a promotion on for Black Chili Pepper Fries. My restaurant is vying for the number one regional sales prize.

Sure, why not?

“All right. I’ll be sure to do that. Umm...Thanks again.”

She smiles and bows lightly.

“Sure thing. Be careful.”

I wave at her as I bike off in the rain towards work.

The woman stands motionless, watching you until you are no longer in sight. So do you want to roleplay through your day at work or cut to after?

Cut to after.

In end your location failed to top the Black Chili Pepper Fry charts for the region.

Why?

One of the fryers stopped working after the lunch rush and it took two hours for the repairman to show up. Two hours that made all the difference.

Fine, I assume I’m taking a bunch of food home.

Of course, and the earlier rain cleared up by the evening so you didn’t need to “borrow” an umbrella from the store. It’s now late night and you are approaching the intersection where you lent out your umbrella. The only light illuminating the traffic crossing is a single street lamp and the traffic signals. You notice someone lurking under the canopy of the abandoned restaurant.

Can I make anything out about this person?

It appears to be the girl you lent out your umbrella to earlier. She appears to be glaring at you.

“Um...did it work out okay? You didn’t get wet, did you?”

“No, it did not work out okay.”

“Uh?”

“I went to your MgRonald today”

“Oh? Um. W-well, thank you.”

What is up with this NPC?

She takes a step towards you.

I jump off Dullahan and put it between us.

“I was watching you. From the place across the street.”

“Watching me?...You mean, the restaurant?”

Seriously, what is up with her?

“No. You.”

“M-me?”

Really?!

“...You looked so different from before, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. But after a while, I realized. At first, I doubted my five senses. I knew you were somewhere near, but not _this_ near. You can try to hide what little magic you have left, but you can’t fool me! Devil King Satan! Why are you working part-time at the MgRonald in Hatagaya?!”

“Y-you...! Emilia, the Hero!”

Why were you playing Emilia the Hero as an NPC?!

I figured it would be easier for you to interact with her as some random person on the street if you actually thought she was some random person on the street. So I’ve been sending in texts for what I wanted her to do.

Well that explains why you playing with your cellphone for the past 10 minutes. I thought you were just getting bored.

Do you want to take back direct control now?

Might as well.

“Yes! It is I, Emilia! And surely you must know why I am here!”

Why is she here?

“You and Alciel, your sole remaining general, may have just barely escaped us. I have travelled across worlds in the pursuit! If I let you escape, our world will be enveloped n darkness once again! And before that can happen, I will destroy you!”

As you can see it’s in character that she follow you. Plus, I’ll do split parties, I’ll do parties that are actively trying to kill each other, however, I draw the line at parties who are simultaneously occupying two separate universes with different metaphysical laws.

Fair enough.

“W-wait! Wait a sec, Emilia! We can talk this out!”

Can I role a diplomacy check here?

Go for it.

7.

I got a 14. I think you failed to convince me.

Yep.

“Never, Devil King! Prepare to die!”

I take out a knife and lunge towards Satan.

Roll for dodge.

12.

You leap backwards, dodging the blade as it zips past your bike. It clanks to the ground as you let go of it.

“Whoa! Watch it!”

“Enough of your cowardly evasion! Stand still and let me kill you!”

“You gotta be kidding me!”

I swing the knife at him again.

9 for dodge.

You just barely avoid the knife coursing past the pit your stomach.

I’m weaponless.......wait I do notice anything about the knife?

It appears to simply be a normal knife.

I see...

“Uh...Emilia?”

“Hmm? Begging for your life, is it? I shall never negotiate with my sworn enemy!”

“Where’s your holy sword?”

Caught on, huh?


	5. Chapter 5

“You bought that knife at the hundred-yen store in Sasazuka, right? I have that same one.”

“H-how did you....!”

“You...you lost all of your holy force, didn’t you? Or even if you didn’t you can afford to waste any, huh?”

“Nnnngh....!”

Nnnngh?

I’m gnashing my teeth.

Oh.

“B-but...but you’re in the same situation, aren’t you? Your power feels so weak... so fragile! It’s nothing compared to before!"

“Well....yeah, but...”

Being honest about your lack of power to someone who is trying to kill you doesn’t seem all that sensible to me.

She can sense my magic, or rather the lack of it. There’s no reason not to be honest.

“With or without my holy blade, I have nothing to fear from a Devil King who’s a powerless fry cook! Die!”

I raise my knife in preparation for the final blow.

Light floods over both of you.

Sorry interrupt the epic clash going on, but what have I been doing this whole time?

Your quest to gain knowledge on the magic of this world was ultimately disappointing. Currently you are cooking dinner for yourself and your master. Do you have anything you would like to add?

“Ugh. He’s bound to bring back more of those chili-pepper fries, I just know it....”

I glance at the clock.

“Hmm...His Demonic Highness is late.”

Okay, I’m done.

Satan, Emilia you were discovered by a policeman and have been escorted to the station for questioning regarding your fight in the intersection.

“So you’re Sadao Maou, and you’re Emi Yusa? Right.”

Who’s who now?

I’m Sadao Maou.

And I’m Emi Yusa. We couldn’t well go around using our actual names in Japan could we?

Or better put, I wouldn’t let them, or rather I wouldn’t let _him_.

“So could you tell me why you were arguing at that intersection?”

“I was there to _slay_ this man!”

“Listen, ma’am, I don’t know what your friend here did to deserve this, but there’s no excuse for going around flailing a knife at him. You need to just calm down and talk things over alright?”

I just admitted an intent to murder, don’t you think his response should be a bit more extreme?

He’s a very chill police officer.

Okaaaaay.

“I... Who do you think he _is_ to me....?!”

“Right now, I bet he thinks we’re having a lovers’ spat or something."

“Well, if I’m wrong, I apologize. You see that sort of thing a lot lately, you know? So just talk it over and... You, if you’re gonna break up, try to be a tad more quit about it, okay?”

Wait, that’s really the explanation we’re going with?

Yep.

“I’m _telling_ you, it’s not _like_ that between us!”

How’d the police find us anyway?

You were yelling very loudly and a local resident called it in. The policeman lets you go after lecturing you for about an hour about the perils of domestic violence.

“...I’m letting you go today. But next time...that’l be _it_.”

“Oh, what, you planning to bring a rolling pin next time?”

“Hmph. I hope you’re happy you’ve been granted an extension to your life. And this evening hasn’t been a waste at all. I memorized your home address, I’ll have you know. Hope you weren’t expecting to get a full night’s sleep for the rest of your life.”

“You’re sounding more like a mob boss than a Hero.”

Was that in or out of character? Because it sounds like you’re criticizing my roleplaying here.

_In_ character. It was in character.

“Oh, by the way, what about my umbrella?”

What?

It’s a valuable piece of equipment.

Which you willingly gave to what you thought was an NPC.

But now that I know I gave it to a PC I want to know what happened to it.

I laugh.

“You said I could toss it out once I was done. So I did! I made sure to thoroughly mutilate it before I did, too."

“Oh, that’s just mean”

You wasted a valuable piece of equipment!

It was a junky umbrella. You yourself called it a junky umbrella.

In character!

“And why would a Hero such as myself gleefully accept an umbrella from the Devil King himself? May my family be cursed for generations if I did! I’d never keep such a putrid, tainted cancer near me for even me for even a _second_!”

I take out a handkerchief and begin wiping my hands, just to accentuate the point.

“I am the sworn enemy of the demon race and all that take comfort with it. Starting tomorrow, you’d best watch yourself on the streets at night!”

With this I walk away from the Devil King into the Hatagaya night.

“...Well, _that’s_ all I need.”

You just _had_ to throw a monkey wrench into my quiet life didn’t you?

Like I said, I don’t do parties in separate dimensions. Plus, I had keep to keep the campaign from stagnating on your life in Tokyo somehow.

“Man, Ashiya’s...”

I assume that’s Alciel.

Yes, he took on the name Shiro Ashiya while in Japan.

“ ...gonna be pissed if he hears that girl is here. Maybe I should keep it under my hat for a while.”

How long until I find out?


	6. Chapter 6

It’s morning after Satan had his encounter with the Hero. His shift doesn’t start until the afternoon, so the two of you are at the apartment, eating breakfast.

A breakfast of what exactly?

Eggs? That I picked up shopping last night after I left the museum.

Just eggs?

Could we really afford anything else? The reason we can have the eggs is that I have some money in my own inventory.

Which you have of course deducted the price of the eggs from.

Of course.

As you are eating your breakfast of eggs, the doorbell rings.

The TV guy came yesterday.

I know that, this is someone different.

Can we pretend we’re not home?

The kitchen fan is on, so no.

I get up and move towards the door.

“Yes? Who is it?”

Who is it?

A pursuing Hero?

Sure.

"'Who is it?' Well, thank you _very_ much for such a polite greeting! I’ve found you Alciel! Last of the Four Great Demon Generals!”

I inhale at the thought of Ashiya discovering I kept my encounter with the Hero a secret.

You begin choking.

Why?!

You were eating a breakfast of eggs, remember?

Right.

This choking throws you into a coughing fit which ends up sending bits of egg flying up your nose.

I jump away from the door, readying myself for battle.

“Wh-who’re you?!”

“Who? I believe the last time you asked me that, we were battling each other in the Devil’s Castle. You haven’t forgotten, have you? The name of the Hero, Emilia Justina?” 

The Hero actually has a surname?

Yep. Emilia Justina still isn’t a name I could really use in Japan though. Hence Emi Yusa.

“The Hero Emilia!”

I turn my king in a panic.

I’m still trying to unclog egg fragments from my nostrils.

“Now, come! Open this door and prepare for your destined fate!”

I check the lock on the door, and slide the chain into. Next, I shut all the windows that look into the outside corridor, and turn off the ventilation fan.

“Your Demonic Highness! It’s the Hero! The Hero is here!”

I realize he’s locked me out.

“Ah...! Wait! Alciel, wait! I’m telling you, open up!"

“Yeah, I know, Ashiya. Hey, get me tissue.”

You’re still struggling with the eggs?

“The Devil King! You’re in there, too, are you? Give it up and open this door!"

I ring the doorbell repeatedly.

I ignore it.

“What should we do, Your Demonic Highness?! The Hero is right at our doorstep!”

“Ugh, I can’t get this bit out of my nose. Yeah, we met yesterday. Sorry I didn’t tell you.”

I pinch one of my nostrils shut.

“Wh-what?!”

“She attacked me at that intersection on the way from work. Then someone reported us, so we got taken in by the cops. That’s why I was late night.”

“The most humiliating moment of my life! They...they thought I was the Devil King’s _girlfriend_!”

“Why me liege?! Why did you not tell me sooner?!”

“Well, I mean...like, no one got hurt, so...Besides, she’s kind of the same boat we are.”

“The same boat...? Meaning?”

I insert one of my fingers into my nose to fish out any last bits of egg.

Ew.

“She recognized me as the Devil King Satan yesterday, but she couldn’t bring out her sword.”

Why? Isn’t it just an inventory item?

Nope.

“That’s made out of Holy Silver, right? The heaven-born metal that’s imbued with holy power? She couldn’t summon it. You means what that means?”

It’s conjured with magic?

Eh, more or less.

“...It means she cannot afford to waste her holy power? So she’s lost the ability to recharge her own powers as well!”

“Yeah. Not that she’d mind using up all her holy force to defeat the Devil King, though. However, we’ve got one decisive advantage on our side.”

“Her...life span, right?”

I begin stamping my feet in disgust at the situation.

“Even if she killed both of us, there’s no guarantee she’ll regain enough holy force to get out of this world before she dies. The humans on Ente Isla, they’re lucky if they reach fifty. Of course, women in Japan average a lot higher than that, so maybe her mid-eighties or so. But she’ll be old and frail by that time.”

“So the Hero would lack the strength to control the Gate as well, then.”

“Basically, yeah. Here, you mind letting her in? She’s starting to cry out there.”

Don’t just decide things like that!


	7. Chapter 7

“What a _dump_!”

“Hey, at least it isn’t cluttered, right? We can’t even afford any stuff to clutter it up with.”

“I find it hard to believe that two men could truly bear to live here...”

“I like my Devil’s Castles more functional than comfortable.”

Now that all the egg is out of my nose, I’ve returned to my breakfast.

“Not much of a breakfast there, either”

“Dude, Ashiya’s genius at this. He makes breakfasts out practically nothing. Like magic.”

Says he who can use actual magic.

“I thank you for your praise, Your Demonic Highness.”

I run my chopsticks along the plate to make certain I don’t miss any crumbs of egg.

“Are you crazy? The Devil King, eating eggs and nothing else for breakfast? You could at _least_ buy some bread to go with it.”

“We’re poor, all right? Is that bad?”

“Yes! Yes, it is! I clawed my way over to completely different world just so I could kill these two dirty hobos? This is horrible...!”

The sight of my sworn enemy just sitting at a kotatsu table, enjoying breakfast is enough to finally make me break down into tears.

Weren’t you crying before?

Shut up.

“I...I live by myself, and I _still_ live better than this. You’ve got two of you holding down jobs, and _this_ is the best you can do?”

“By yourself? You don’t have friends?”

“Shut _up_!”

I throw a nearby tissue box at him.

Satan, roll to dodge.

20.

That’s how you rolled a one on a critical spot check. You waste all your luck dodging tissue boxes.

Oh, be quiet.

You nimbly dodge the tissue box and it bounces off a stack of free newspapers and magazines before landing on the floor.

“The...the archbishop was supposed to join me! We were going to head right back home after you were defeated! And...and _now_ look what happened!”

What _did_ happen, anyway?

I decided to pursue the Devil King through the Gate as soon as he fled through it. I took the lead and plunged in, only for it to suddenly close behind me, preventing Olba Meiyer, the archbishop, from coming with me.

So you were a victim of the whims of the GM?

In essence.

Hey, I had reasons for doing that!

Care to share?

That would ruin the surprise.

What surprise?!

Are you going to continue your confrontation in the Devil’s Castle?

“You got a phone?”

_That’s_ were you’ve decided to go with it?

“Yeah. Dokodemo.”

I take out my smartphone and show it to them.

And _you’re_ rolling with it?

“...Well, you win.”

“I win what?”

You have a much nicer phone.

“So how long have you been here in Japan?”

Are you trying to bore me into telling you what the surprise is? Because I’m not going to do it.

“It...uh, hasn’t been a year yet.”

“How old are you this year?”

*sigh*

“Seventeen! So?”

Yeah, so is right.

“Well, no matter what happens, we’re gonna need to find a way out of this world before we use up our natural life span. I know you found us and all, but we don’t exactly have the cash to move out of here. So, welcome to the new Devil’s Castle. This one-room apartment is all we need to open the first chapter in our new quest for world domination.”

As I am saying this, I point at the Hero with my chopsticks.

“Do you think you can back up all that junk, though? A Devil King living day to day off menial part-time work?”

“I am not your typical demon, Hero. I know I cannot solve every problem with force alone. If you think I’m willing to live out my life in Japan, rolling along with my comfortable job, you are deadly wrong.”

“Huh?”

What are you huh-ing for?

You’ve given me no reason to believe that last statement of yours.

I laugh heartily at the Hero.

“I fully intend to have Japan in my grasp before long. So listen. At MgRonald, if you work hard enough as a part-timer, they have a system where you can become a full salaried employee.”

“...Uh?”

What does the violent takeover of Japan have to do with the human resources department at MgRonald?

“You should know as well as I do, Emilia, how much your schooling and past experience affect your social position here in Japan.”

“Yeah. So? That’s ‘Emilia the Hero’, by the way!”

“Look, try to use you brain a little, all right? In Japan, we’re magicless. Powerless. The only power we can get our hands on is the title of salaried employee!”

I belt out another laugh.

“I...don’t see how this affects me.”

I really don’t know how to react to the declarations your making here.

“Soon, the day will come when I outclass even my store manager. Then, as a full-timer, I will build up my stores of cash and social currency. Before long, I will wield enormous powers, forcing massive armies of people in Japan to grovel before me! Then I will use this power as a weapon to invade Ente Isla once more! Well, Emilia? Think you have what it takes to stop me?”

Nice to see you actually are trying to hold to that ‘Lawful Evil’ alignment you wrote on your character sheet. 

What’s that supposed to mean?

You haven’t been acting very evil lately, is what it means.

“...You are _so_ stupid.”

I look away from him.

I puff up my chest in glorious victory.

“Hah! I thought so! A mere human could never comprehend the extent of glorious spiritual strength!”

“If I may, I think she said that precisely because she comprehended it.”

I sigh.

“This is just exhausting me... I don’t know if it even matters anymore. I’m going home.”

I wipe my eyes.

“But I hope you don’t have the wrong idea. I don’t understand you at all, and I am definitely not going to let you run free. I still have some of my power left. I could kill you anytime I want. But if I do, I won’t have any way back home. So if I want to get back home, then I won’t be able to kill you. And that’s how it is.”

Why are you telling us this?

“It wouldn’t be fair if you me about yourself and I didn’t return the favour, would it?”

“Well, how wonderfully thoughtful of you.”

“So...until I find a way to procure both your defeat and my pathway back home, I’m not going to take your life. But don’t let your guard down yet!...Ugh.”

I walk toward the door.

“Also, my name here in Japan is Emi Yusa, all right? Try not to mess it up.”

“Yeah, sure thing.”

I open the door and turn back to the men.

“Also, what kind of name is ‘Sadao’? That’s, like, a grandpa’s name.”

I slam the door behind me.

“All the Sadaos in Japan are gonna make you beg for mercy!”

I’m going to need your roll for the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

“Hi there! Are you dining in today?”

“I want to talk to you. Outside.”

“To go, then? Okay, what would you like to order?”

“I want you where we were last night once you get out of work. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Can I make that into a value meal for you today?”

“Come alone.”

“Just the sandwich? Certainly! If I could just have you wait one moment by the side here...One Big Mag, please!”

“You better show up. This isn’t so I can fight you.”

“Thank you very much! Come back soon!”

I pay for the burger, accept the bag and leave.

Everyone, I have an announcement to make!

I finished my new character sheet.

That’s great!

Are you finished yours, too?

No, I still have some final touches to put on mine. It shouldn’t take too much longer.

So who is your new character?

I’m a highschool age coworker of Maou’s. And the daughter of one of the police officers you and Maou encountered when you first got to Japan.

Now that the introductions are complete, feel free to jump right in.

“Maou?”

Wait, you forgot one very important piece of information. What’s your character’s name?

Chiho Sasaki.

“What’s up, Chi?”

You gave her a nickname?

Well I assume we’ve worked together for some time in universe.

“That was kind of weird customer, wasn’t it?”

“You mean the...woman just now?”

“Right. Kind of creepy, huh? And she kept muttering, too.”

“Yeah, well, we get all kinds in here.”

“Do you know her? It sounded like you were having a conversation.”

“Mmm, yeah, a little.”

“Ooh! Something’s _up_!”

“What?”

“And she was kinda pretty, too, huh? Huh? Huh, Maou?”

“You don’t have to say ‘huh’ three times, Chi! Like, what makes you think her and me are- _Hello_ there!”

What was that?

“Will this be for here, ma’am?”

Dodging my questions are you?

Help the nice lady.

Fine. I take up the register.

The customer is a mother with two children, an infant and a young boy.

As I work the register, my fingers come to halt over the keys.

“Just one moment, please. Um...Maou?”

Didn’t think you where getting any from me that easily did you?

“Yep?”

“This customer’s son has issues with allergies.”

“Allergies? Certainly. Do you know which types of food trigger these allergies?”

“It looks like shrimp, crab, and some fruits, too.”

I provide a menu to the customer.

“Well, products that include shrimp are required by law to be specifically mentioned on food menus, so as you can see here, it’s used in all our seafood products.”

“Oh!”

“Regarding fruit, the government recommends information displays for kiwifruits, oranges, peaches, and apples. Out of those, apples are the only type used in certain types seasonings that we use. This includes the sauce on the Teriyaki Burger, for example, as well as some salad dressings. Over on our side offerings, it would also be best to avoid our seasonal fruit-flavoured ice cream selection as well as the vegetable juice.”

I continue to walk the mother through menu items to be avoided.

“By the way, ma’am, would you like to use our microwave?”

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

“If you have any baby food other products meant for microwave preparation, we’d be happy to assist you with that. If you don’t mind my intrusiveness, I thought you might like your youngest to enjoy lunch with you and your son.”

The woman glances at the baby in her arms, her expression a wide grin, before nodding.

“Well, thank you very much! Here...This should take about forty seconds to cook.”

She takes a vacuum-packed pouch out from her shoulder bag as she speaks.

I accept it, and hand it over to Chiho.

“Here, Sasaki, put this in for twenty seconds. Make sure it’s ready alongside the rest of the order.”

“Didn’t she say forty seconds?”

“That’s for a household microwave. We’ve got an industrial one here that’s at least twice as strong, twenty ought to be enough.”

“Oh! All right!”

I nod respectfully to Maou before going into the rear kitchen.

I take the reins for the rest of the customer’s transaction.

The mother thanks you multiple times.

See? I am gradually working my way towards a full time position, and then conquest of Japan! I am totally Lawful Evil!

Sure you are. That whole being overly kind to NPCs thing is just a way further your own goals.

Exactly!


	9. Chapter 9

“Mmm? What is it, Chi?”

“That was _amazing_ , Maou!”

“Huh?”

“I mean, look at you! Did you memorize all that stuff about allergies and what ingredient goes in what?”

“Well, it’s all in the training manual, isn’t it?”

“But that’s still amazing! And you even thought about the baby food, too!”

“Yeah... Well, that kind of thing’s tougher during the rush, but when you have the time for it, it’s nice if you can be flexible with customers' needs. It helps make a better long-term impression.”

“That’s just so...so cool, Maou! So grown-up and responsible!”

“Ha-ha... Still just a part-timer, though.”

I give you such a great look of awed respect, that the only thing that could intensify it was if the background behind me were spewing rose petals.

Please tell me it isn’t actually doing that.

Of course not.

Suddenly, I become serious again.

“Oh! Speaking of which, Maou, were you okay after the earthquake yesterday?”

“Um...”

How did my being a part-timer lead to this?

I decided to take the conversation in a new direction.

“Yeah, no real problems. I live in a junky apartment, so I guess my roommate thought it was a pretty big one, but it didn’t shake _that_ much, you know? I didn’t even feel anything.”

“Oh? Uh...Oh! I guess so, huh? That’s what all my classmates said at school when I asked them, but for me, it was, like, so awful!”

“Really?”

I begin gesturing wildly as I talk.

“My mom said there was this really loud noise, like something exploded, and it shook really bad, too! When I got back home, all the CDs and stuff had fallen off my bookshelf! It was the worst!”

“Wow. That bad?”

“Oh, you don’t think I’m lying, too, do you, Maou?”

“Oh, I’m not, I’m not. So then what happened?”

“Well, then we had to clean up all the dishes and stuff that had broken! My dad was calling around all over the place!”

“Calling who?”

“Oh! My dad’s a police officer, but he was home yesterday because he was off duty. But he used to be a regional director and one of the emergency contact points for the town assembly, so he made a bunch of calls to all of his contacts. The ward’s disaster management office told him that it wasn’t a big earthquake at all. It was a real bummer!”

“Huh.”

“Maou?”

Um, hello?

“Hey! Maou!”

Quit spacing out and roleplay!

“Mm? Oh. Sorry. I just thought that sounded kinda weird, you know? Like, only your house getting affected.”

“Yeah, isn’t it?....Oh, uh, by the way?”

“Hmm?”

“You said you had a roommate just now?”

“Yeah. An old general of mine. _Friend_. Friend of mine, from way back.”

That’s your story for the locals is it?

It does have the benefit of being nearly 100 percent true.

“Is-is it your...g-girl-”

“He’s a guy, Chi. Just the two of us, slumming it in our ancient apartment building.”

“Eh? Oh? Ohhhh. I...see. Yeah...I get it. Good!”

“What’s good?”

“N-nothing! Are...are you on the first floor, Maou?”

“Nah. Second. My friend didn’t feel anything on the second floor, so I guess that’s why I didn’t think it was anything big. The place definitely would have been shaking if it was. What about you? Do you live in a condo or something?”

“No, it’s...um, it’s a house. Uh...”

“Hmm?”

“If...if you’d like, we could-”

“Come on, kids”

Ms. Kisaki interrupts your conversation.

“No personal conversations while you’re on duty, please. Have you completed the evening floor check yet, Chi?”

“Oh! I’m sorry! I’ll go do it right now!”

If I didn’t know better I would say you were railroading them.

Whatever could you be talking about? It’s unprofessional to have personal conversations on the sales floor.

“You try not to spoil Chi too much either, okay, Maa?”

Her eyebrows are furrowed but you can tell she isn’t actually angry.

“But didn’t you tell me not to be harsh on her, Ms. Kisaki?

Did I?

Sure you did, we just didn’t roleplay it.

“She’s probably gonna be the first student in a while to settle into a regular shift schedule.”

CRASH!

What are you shouting for?

You here the sound of assorted objects falling to the ground from the storage room. Chiho must have knocked something over by accident.

“Sorry about that!”

“Well, yes, but the home office is starting to send people in unannounced to check up on things. If we let private chat go too far, it might come back to bite us later on. Anyway, Maa, you mind doing an afternoon stat check for me?”

I print a receipt listing customer and sales figures for the afternoon period between the lunch and dinner rushes.

Ms. Kisaki takes a glance at the receipt and nods, apparently satisfied.

“Nice! We’re gonna make our daily sales target easy today. Great job, people! You all get one free drink on me. Let’s keep it going through the dinner rush, all right? Oh, and Maa, that was perfect ten, how you treated that customer just now. Keep setting a good example for the new guys, okay?”

“Oh, by the way, did the earthquake yesterday affect you at all, Ms. Kisaki?”

“Earthquake? Was there one?”


	10. Chapter 10

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

I'm holding my free iced coffee from Ms. Kisaki in my right hand, ready to throw at the Hero if need be. I remain mounted on Dullahan.

“I just wanted to ask you something. Do you even _have_ any intention of returning to Ente Isla?”

“Huh? What’re you talking about? Of course I do!”

Did you ask that she say that?

No.

“So you don’t want to spend the rest of your life in this world?”

“What, are you kidding me? What’s this all about, anyway?”

“I was watching you at work earlier.”

“Wha-Where?! Not the bookstore again!”

Though it’s a descent excuse to give your character knowledge she wouldn’t otherwise have, but you do. Kudos.

“Your smile. Your snappy responses to questions. The trust the manager and all the other employees put in you. That flexible approach you took with customers - that takes real _talent_. You’re, like, the ideal Maggie’s employee.”

Did you just make up that abbreviation on the spot?

Yeah, so?

“When we talked this morning, I thought you were just spouting nonsense to me on purpose. But watching you work today...you were really telling the truth, weren’t you?”

I shrug.

“And, you know, if you’re willing to live out life as a bright, happy young man in this world, I’m perfectly willing to not kill you. That girl you worked with - you know, the cute one? It looked like she’s got a thing for you.”

Does she really? 

Yeah, how in all honesty did you manage to completely miss that? I was about to have her ask you out on a date before the GM stepped in.

“Yeah. I was pretty much the guy who gave Chi all her training. She’s only been a full crew member a coupla days, but she learns quick, and she’s really good at being polite with customers...so...”

“Think about it. If you live out your life here, everything’s going to be fine. Peaceful!”

Please, don’t encourage this. Peaceful lives make for boring RPGs.

“You can make the area around Hatagaya station happy for everyone. And I wouldn’t have to fight anyone I don’t have to. Would you consider it, at least? You, and Alciel, living here until your dead and buried?”

_Please_. There’s only so much I can do to keep this interesting.

“Alciel is a valued assistant of mine, I’ll grant you that. But why would I want to live all the way to old age with him?”

“Well, you know, I heard that sort of thing is getting popular these days.”

“Look, Emi, are you...suggesting something, when you’re ordering me to live with another man my whole life?”

“No! Of course not! I just wanted to...bring up the idea, all right?”

I take a deep breath.

“I just want you to give up Ente Isla for me. I want you to give it up, and find a new life for yourself here. On Earth.”

“Not happening. I’m gonna make my way back to Ente Isla...and it _will_ be mine.”

Thank you.

“...All right.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. That’s it. Now it’s been decided. I will chase you down for all time, until you are dead by my hand.”

“So the same as before. Great.”

I place my feet on Dullahan’s pedals. I pump them, beginning to bike away from this conversation.

You feel a dull force thunk against your front wheel. You lose balance and fall to the ground. Roll for damage.

17\. But what happened?

You sustain no serious injuries, but if you were a little closer to the side of the street, you might have cracked your head open on the curb.

But that was just for low rolls, right?

Yes it was. The cup of iced coffee in your hand arcs through the air, liquid and ice spattering all over the pavement.

“What was that?”

I instinctively run over to Satan, helping him up.

“Oww... Man, that came out of nowhere. Did I run over something?”

“Hah! And you call yourself Devil King! Get it together, won’t you?”

“Shut up.”

I begin picking up Dullahan.

I inspect the bike.

It’s called Dullahan.

I don’t really care.

“That’s a new bike, too, isn’t it? Oooh, too bad.”

I point at the front wheel.

“Aw man it’s flat!”

I put the kickstand down, then I fall to one knee, groaning in pain at the sight.

I revel in the sight.

“Come on, Dullahan! You can pull through this! It’s just a flesh wound! I’ve only just purchased you!”

“You don’t have to act like that. It’s just a flat. Just bring it to the bicycle shop tomorrow. It’s only a thousand yen or so to patch up the tube. Replacing a tire costs more, but...”

“R-really?”

I tightly embrace Dullahan as I turn my head towards Emilia.

“Um... Yeah. Really. But get away from me! You’re all dirty! It’s disgusting!”

“I am _not_ disgusting! But... okay. I’ll go get it fixed first thing in that morning. Thanks for the help.”

“You’re welcome... No! Wait! I don’t need your petty compliments! You were just acting so pathetic over a stupid bicycle flat, it threw me off guard, so...”

You fail to finish your sentence due to the ground palpably shaking under yourself and Satan.

“Huh? Earthquake?”

I’m going to need both of you to roll.

For what?

Dodge.


	11. Chapter 11

What?!

You hear a faint bursting sound emanating from somewhere. Roll to see if you get hit.

19.

10.

This time, the bike’s rear tire is blown.

“Whoa!”

“Agh!”

...As you shout, the signal light above you shatters into a million pieces. You here the shards scattering across the ground.

“Are we...”

“...being shot at?”

Bingo. ...You here a cracking sound at your feet as another of the bullets misses.

“Whoa, whoa, what the hell?!”

“We need to get out of here!”

We run into a nearby alley.

The sparks and bursting noises follow.

“What is going _on_ here - Ahh!”

“Stop screaming! And stop tripping over the bollards, too!”

We stop to catch our breath in front of a shuttered office building.

“What just happened?”

“The Devil King and the Hero are together. And someone is attacking them. It’s got _something_ to do with Ente Isla. Even if it didn’t, what kind of criminal's shooting that kind of thing in Japan? You know how crazy strict the weapons laws are.”

“I _know_! So was some street gang firing an air gun at us...?”

“They don’t make street gangs like _that_ around here anymore!”

More shots come from the direction you were running from.

“Get down!”

I push the Hero’s head out of the way. I roll 15. Do I succeed?

...At the exactly height of Emilia’s head, there is now a small hole in the metal shutter.

“...You can’t shoot a BB through a steel door, either.”

“Get _off_! Stop messing with my hair!”

Why in the world is your hair taking priority?

I brush your hand away.

“So you’re about as strong as the average Japanese person, too?”

“...Strong or not, you’re still gonna cut yourself in the kitchen! It’s still gonna hurt if you stub your toe on a lamppost!”

How’d you find all this out?

Early on in our stay in Japan his majesty ending up sustaining damage trying to pick up a heavy object.

What about you?

The kitchen and the lamppost.

“That last one came from in front of us.”

“Don’t be so sure. You hear any gunshots yet?”

“Nothing like that, no...”

...Shoots begin firing.

“...Ah!”

I lunge towards the Devil King in an attempt to push us both out of the way.

Roll?

11.

...You and the Devil King spin the air before hitting the ground. If you had been a moment slower you both would have been perforated, as the now very well ventilated shutter can attest.

“Nice one.”

“I’m not an idiot, you know. I’m a Hero.”

“Yeah, sorry. You mind getting off me? I can’t dodge sniper fire like this.”

“That’s your fault for landing first! I’d be only too happy to extract myself from your putrid hide!”

We quickly rise to our feet.

We stand back to back to watch for attacks from any direction.

“Can we make it to the station?”

“Good idea. The izakayas will still be open Sasazuka station; there’ll be a bunch of people there. It’ll be risky, but it’s up to whoever’s shooting us to react. Can you run?”

“Better than you can. You had it easy all this time with that bike.”

“Okay. Go!”

We take off running towards the station.

The closer you come to the station the more bystanders you encounter. The izakaya bars are lit in a dazzling array of colours; herds of salarymen can be seen roaming the streets around them.

We stop with our backs towards the station wall, scanning the area for snipers.

...After 10 minutes you conclude there are no snipers in well-lit populated areas. Which is a good thing for you, as you are both physically and mentally exhausted.

“So what... _was_ that?”

I heave a sigh of relief.

“I don’t know...but that wasn’t just some random sniper. Those were bolts of magic energy.”

“Magic...?”

I open my eyes wide.

“That shot aimed at your head near the building? It came from the angle we ran from. It had to change direction to aim for us, that much I’m sure of.”

How very observant of you. Congrats.

“You mean...”

“Whoever’s behind it, he’s got a lot of power behind him. That, and he knows who both of us really are.”

“Both of us? There’s someone like that here? Besides Alciel?”

Surprise!

Why were you complaining about us staying on Earth since you could do this whenever you wanted?

It’s not that simple.

And what do you mean by that?

Only that it’s not that simple.

Eh, as long as you keep dropping hints we can pick up, I’m okay with you surprising us every now and again.

“Guess so. Don’t know who, though. I didn’t even feel anyone else nearby.”

I stretch my body out.

“Man. Look at all this trouble you’ve gotten me into.”

“Me?! You think this is my fault?!”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you chose a more normal time and place, would it?”

“I chose that because that’s when you got off work!”

“Morning would’ve been just fine. Better, even.”

“I work in the morning! And the afternoon!”

“Not my problem.”

I turn to leave.

“Hey! Where’re you going?!”

I stop the Devil King as he attempts to walk off.

“Home.”

“You’re leaving by yourself?!”

“Well, yeah. You should go home, too. I’m sure it’s nearby if this is where you’re hanging out all the time. Later.”

“Hey...!”

I set off, leaving the Hero shouting frantically in the Susazuka night.

I said not to just decide things like that!


	12. Chapter 12

Satan, as you are making your way back to your apartment, you realize that someone is following you.

Is it an attacker?

Perhaps, but you sense no magical force nor murderous intent in this pursuer, though they do seem to paying an usual amount of attention to you.

I duck into the side alley that runs across the neighbourhood.

Why? You’re close to the apartment and Alciel’s in there.

You have no magic though, and you’re to valuable to me to risk you being killed here.

The footsteps continue unabated. The figure does not notice you in the darkness and proceeds onwards towards Villa Rosa Sasazuka. It goes up the the stairs and stops in front of room 201.

I think I can handle my actions from now on, thanks.

Again?

Keeps the surprise alive, doesn’t it?

“Ugh...I know I said ‘come for me anytime you want,’ but now?”

I call towards the late night visitor.

“Look, I’ve already gone through one ambush tonight. You’re going to wake up all the neighbours. The landlord lives right next to us, too, and I _really_ don’t want to deal with her if I can.”

What’s up with the landlord?

She’s an inhuman behemoth. And very unsettling. We figure she has to be important somehow, but the GM hasn’t given us all that much to work off of yet.

“...I’m not here to attack you.”

I look white as a sheet, and my breathing is quick and shallow. I appear intensely nervous.

“H-hey...what’s wrong?”

I draw closer, concerned.

“It utterly disgusts me to ask you this... In fact it feels like I’m betraying my world and everyone in it...”

“If you came here to rile me up, it’s working.”

“I...if you don’t mind...could I...I...”

“You?”

My pale complexion turns bright red. I turn my head downwards.

“Could I...stay here tonight? I...I kind of dropped my purse.”

When?

As we were running away from the mystery sniper.

And when did you mention that?

I sent a text.

You sure seem to do that a lot. I open the door, and motion Emilia follow me inside, on the condition that she leave me alone after this.

Sure, whatever.

“What?! The Hero Emilia?!”

“No, no, it’s okay. She hasn’t got enough energy to fight right now, anyway.”

“You Demonic Highness, how could you be so reckless?! You, the Devil King, staying out partying all night with the Hero?!”

“You don’t have to put it like _that_! It’s still two a.m.!”

“The wee hours of the _night_ my liege!”

I stand solemnly in the front of the door.

“We both got attacked just now. By someone we couldn’t see. He was flinging magic at us. And while we were fleeing, apparently she dropped her purse. So, you know, she can’t catch a taxi, she can’t spend the night at an Internet café... She doesn’t have any friends nearby, either, she claims. Turns out she lives over by Eifukucho, so that’s kinda far to walk.”

“But, Your Demonic Highness... If you remember where it was dropped, I’m sure nobody’s touched it at this time of night...”

“Yeah, I know, but we just got written up by the cops yesterday, you know? I don’t know who was targeting us...”

That’s knowledge for the GM only at this point.

“...but if she winds up getting killed out there, we’re gonna be the prime suspects. It wouldn’t hurt to let her sleep in the corner, would it? As long as she takes the first train outta here.”

How is any of this even remotely, ‘evil’. This is downright nice.

It would cause us problems if she were killed. Therefore helping her is entirely based in self interest. Thus I am not betraying my character alignment.

*sigh*

I bring a frustrated hand to my temple.

“Here, c’mon in. Have a seat wherever you like. Hope you’re not expecting a futon or any other luxury goods.”

“...I get it, all right?”

You people don’t have any stuff, that’s why you were complaining about the stupid umbrella.

“Emilia! After the gracious pity the Devil King has bestowed upon you, is _that_ how you repay him?!”

“Pipe down, Ashiya. The landlord’s gonna hear us. Hey, Emi.”

I throw a bath towel at Emilia.

Do you want to try and dodge? It’s a bath towel and the throw was non-malicious.

Nah.

“What do you wa-”

You are cut off by the bath towel hitting you in the face.

“You can use that if you want. If you need a pillow, go ahead and use those towels over there. I’ll spot you a thousand yen, so get out of here before the trains start up, all right?”

I reluctantly accept the wadded up bill, gritting my teeth all the while.

“Emilia! That is a royal donation from the Devil King’s personal meager resources! I order you to treat it with the respect it deserves!”

“Shut up, I know that! I didn’t ask for any of this, okay? Thank you for the money!”

“You little...!”

I take my own bath sheet out of the closet.

As I watch you, I wrap my own towel around myself and take a seat on the floor.

As you pull the towel around yourself, you find it to be freshly washed.

“...This is the same detergent I use.”

“Don’t start whining about how stiff it is. Ashiya refuses to buy any fabric softener.”

I turn over on the floor as I speak.

“I-I was just saying...It didn’t need a response.”

I turn my back on the Devil King.

“Yeah, yeah. You go to bed too, Ashiya. Hey, Emi, don’t worry about locking the door behind you, okay? Night, people."

With that I fall asleep.

That was fast.

I size up the situation in front of me.

“Do note that I have not dropped my guard yet. Try anything underhanded, and it will be you who pays the price. A good night to you.”

With that, I lie down and fall asleep as well.

I watch them sleep, making sure they don’t pull anything.

They don’t move.

I guess this is kind of silly. I lie down as well.

“I’m gonna have to cancel my Kakui credit card...My bank card, too. Oh, and how many rides did I have left on my pass?”

Man, I had a lot of important stuff there.

Sucks you lost it.

Shut it, you.

“Why am I even doing this...?”

At this point fatigue causes me to fall asleep.

I speak up.

“We’re a team of two, but it seems she’s alone, huh?”

“Indeed”

“We were pretty miserable at first, too, weren’t we? And she had to deal with that all by herself. You think about it that way...I’m not gonna be her friend, no, but I do feel for her.”

“You’ve grown complacent, Your Demonic Highness.”

“Just for the moment, Ashiya. I made her promise not to hang around me any further.”

“Well, so be it, then.”

From the corner of your eye, you notice something glinting in the air.

“What is it?”

“We got a text.”

I scoop up the phone form its location on the floor.

The screen shows two new messages.

“Huh. One’s from Chi... Hey, stop looking.”

I wriggle away from Alciel.

“The other one’s from an unknown number. Weird.”

The mail address seems to be a random mishmash of letters and numbers.

So it’s either spam or a wrong number.

You know me better than that. ...There check your phone.

...My eyes grow serious.

“Your Demonic Highness?”

“Hey, Ashiya? This is kind of nuts, isn’t it? I got pretty much the same text at the same time...from someone I know and someone I don’t.”

What do the texts say?

_The earthquakes will continue. Be careful_. and _Maou, there’s gonna be another earthquake. What should I do? Chiho_


	13. Chapter 13

By the time the two of you wake up the next morning, the Hero is already gone. Her bath towel is neatly folded and placed on top of the washer. The key to the front door is on the floor beneath a window, and there is a bowl next to the kitchen sink.

“What’s that?”

“Some kind of pickled dish?”

It’s a small bowl of chopped-up konnyaku gel and cucumber, tossed with vinegar and miso paste.

“Her way of repaying us for the lodging, perhaps? Here, allow me to test it for poison.”

I remove the plastic wrap from the bowl, and flick a slice of cucumber into my mouth. So is it poisoned?

No. It actually tastes quite good.

“Hmm...She is our foe, yes, but she’s also a gifted cook.”

“It’s good?”

“I do not find it wanting, my liege.”

As a speak I try a pinch for myself.

“I do wonder what the key is doing on the floor, however...”

“If I had to guess, she opened the window, locked the door, then tossed it back through the window. The bars over the windows facing the corridor would’ve kept anyone from getting inside anyway.”

“Impressive. The Hero is a woman of high morals.”

I sniff derisively as I lift the key off the floor.

“And what would you have done of you if you were her?”

“Simple. I would have locked the door and taken the key with me.”

“Devilish.”

“Your point being?”

Unlike _some_ people, when I wrote ‘evil’ on my character sheet I meant it.


	14. Chapter 14

I’m still kicking myself over falling asleep in the Devil’s Castle.

That was kinda reckless.

“I feel so _unclean_...”

I rush to the shower. I spend an extra long time showering, to make certain I wash away any traces of demonic contamination. After my shower I walk into the living room, pick up the remote control and turn on the TV.

MHK is airing a traffic report for the train and highway systems. Your line is running on time, so you should have no problem getting to work. After a moment, the program shifts to the morning’s news. Last night’s shooting dominates.

I change the channel.

The shooting is being reported on there, too. But here you notice some familiar faces.

“Whoa! It’s them!”

They are only on screen for a split second, but it looks like they are discussing something with each other.

“...and a bicycle with two flat tires was abandoned in the middle of the intersection. Police detectives are in the midst of determining the bicycle’s owner, since they believe it might have something to do with the case.”

My eyes open wide at this report.

“You... _idiot_...”

Did you really think it would be okay to just waltz over and pick up your bike?

Well the cop that wrote us up seemed pretty chill, so...

They take gun crimes much more seriously.

Than _attempted murder_?!

Who says that wasn’t attempted murder.

“...Well, not my problem.”

I return to the bathroom to dry my hair.

After a few minutes, the news switches over to a report about a string of late-night convenience store robberies and muggings of women and the elderly. Apparently, they are being carried put some crazed maniac wearing bizarre clothing.

Nothing but trouble on the news today, is there?


	15. Chapter 15

Good news, everyone, my character sheet is finally done.

And?

I’m a coworker of Emi’s, named Rika Suzuki.

Where does Emilia work, anyway?

A call centre, for the the company I got my phone from. I largely handle complaints.

Want to start your shift?

Sure. I walk into the office locker room and change into my uniform. I then clock into the company system and take a seat in my assigned cube.

“Morning, Emi!”

I call from the adjacent seat.

“Oh, hey, Rika.”

“Hey, did you hear about that crazy shootout? That was right near you, wasn’t it?”

“Well, three train stops away, but...yeah.”

“Oh? Well, still a gun battle in the middle right in the middle of Tokyo! Nuts, isn’t it? Japan’s gonna go down the tubes before to long if _that_ keeps up.”

The morning’s news only reported ‘shots fired’.

In my mind it is already an action film bloodbath.

“And, you know, there’s been all these earthquakes lately, there’s some weirdo robbing people on the street... It’s outrageous! The whole world’s going crazy, and it’s draggin’ all of us down with it. Oh! There’s a new curry place opening up today, did you here about that?”

Yet another unexpected turn in the conversation.

Unless Rika here takes curry to mean the end of the world.

“No, I didn’t”

“One of the big joints in Shimo-Kitazawa opened up a new location. Wanna join me there for lunch, maybe?”

“Ooh, but if it’s popular, won’t there be a line and stuff?”

“It’ll be worth it!”

Sadly, I shake my head.

“Well, sad to say, I don’t have time to stand in line today. I lost my purse.”

“Oh, no _way_! Really?!”

I nearly tip over my office chair with my grandiose reaction.

“Yeah, and it had everything in it, too. Train ticket, bank card, credit card... So I have to visit my bank to deal with all that and withdraw some money.”

“Ooh, yeah, no waiting around for lunch today, then.”

“Sorry about that!”

“Oh, no problem, no problem. So you wanna just hit up Maggie’s or whatever instead?”

So, in universe, Emilia picked up that abbreviation from you?

Yes she did.

“Ooh, _anything_ but Maggie’s.”

“You better cancel all those cards real soon, though, right?”

“I already put a temporary stop on them, yeah. That much you can do on the phone.”

“Oh, I see. Well, you just name the place, Emi! It’s on me today! Don’t want to leave you heartbroken after all.”

“Ah, you don’t have to do that...”

The starting bell rings, signaling you to stop talking and get to work.


	16. Chapter 16

I check my interoffice mail to see what the day's special issues are.

The morning report mentions that phone service was knocked out for a period in the city centre due to electrical issues. Your day flows by with various customer calls. By the time you notice the clock, it is almost time for your lunch break.

“Ugh! There’s just so many complaints today!”

I groan from the adjacent cube and bang my fist against the desk several times.

“So are you going anywhere besides the bank today, Emi?”

“Umm...Nope just the bank!”

“But Kakui, too, right? Since you need to cancel that card. So how ‘bout we out that new okonomiyaki place next to Kakui? The crowds there have probably thinned out a little bit by now.”

“Sounds good. Give me one sec, okay? I need to check where the nearest bank branch is...”

Another call transfer pops up on your terminal.

“Oooooh, you hate to see _that_ before lunch!”

“Hey, it’s a living.”

I flash a reassuring smile at the peeved Rika. Then, I take the call.

“Thank you for your patience! This is Emi Yusa from the Dokodemo customer support team. How can I -”

“...Yusa?”

“Huh? Um, yes? Yes, this is Yusa. How can I help you?”

“Yusa...is it? You’re a full-fledged Japanese woman by now, aren’t you, Emilia the Hero?”

“Ah! May I ask who’s calling, please?”

“Someone who knows of the Hero, and the Devil King. And someone who is driven to destroy both of you.”

You have no recollection of this voice.

“So you were trying to utilize the network last night?"

“It was unexpected to see the Hero and the Devil King engaged in tandem operations.”

“Yes. It was a regrettable situation for us as well.”

“Heh-heh-heh... I could imagine. You may consider me an assassin, one sent from Ente Isla. And you may consider our encounter last night as a method of introducing myself. I am here to eliminate Satan, the Devil King, and Emilia the Hero, in the world they have traveled to. It is both my mission and the will of Ente Isla.”

“What?!”

Why would Ente Isla want me dead?

Who knows?

“I...I’m afraid that we will be unable to provide an answer to that without further consideration...”

“Heh-heh... Consideration, is it? I am keenly interested to see what the Hero and Devil King have left to consider, judging by the way they tucked their tails and fled form such a simple attack.”

You recognize the speaker’s tone, it seems to echo ominously, as if rattling up from the depths of darkness.

So he’s a demon?

“None of Satan’s generals survived apart form Alciel. What part of the demon realm are _you_ from?”

You receive no answer.

“You can try and shock me into submission with your lofty words about ‘the will of Ente Isla.’ But it will never faze me! I have no time for the prattlings of a monster.”

“I see. A pity you choose not believe me. We will meet again, soon.”

The mysterious caller hangs up.

With a heavy sigh, I remove my headset.

I look on incredulously, not knowing what kind of conversation Emi is having.

I turn back to her.

“It takes all kinds in this world, doesn’t it?”

“I...guess so.”

I still look skeptical, but decide not to press the topic.

Soon after your lunch break arrives.

“Hey, sorry. So what did you wanna do? Wanna eat lunch first? The bank’s gonna be busy right now anyway.”

“Sure, Emi. If that works for you.”

I head for the locker room and place my phone, passbook and seal inside a small tote.

Just as you are about to leave, your phone begins to vibrate.

My heart skips a beat.

“Is that your phone?”

“Yeah...”

I check the screen.

The call is from an unknown fixed-line number within Tokyo.

“You gonna answer it?”

“I dunno...I got a bad feeling about it.”

The phone continues to ring.

“...Hello?”

“Hello! Is this Emi Yusa’s cell phone?”

It’s a different voice, a friendly-sounding middle-aged man.

“Yes! Can I ask who this is?”

“I apologize for bothering you. This is the Yoyogi Police Department calling.”

“Huh?”


	17. Chapter 17

I simmer silently in the waiting room, my eyebrows furrowed deeply into my forehead.

The ill temper in your eyes is so obvious it’s making the officer manning the front desk keep her distance from you. Eventually, a uniformed officer greets you.

I lack the presence of mind to return the gesture at the moment.

“I really appreciate you taking the time to come here. There’s a whole process we have to go through, you understand.”

“Yeah...”

“Um, first off, if I could check your ID...”

I show it to him.

“Thank you. Now, if you could just write your name and address on this paper and place your seal right here...”

I sign the document, with almost enough pressure to tear the paper apart. Then I smash my seal into the inkpad before practically stamping it through the sheet and onto the desk.

The officer is slightly put off by this display, by he tries to continue smiling as sincerely as he can.

“Right. That should take care of the transfer documentation. Mr. Maou and Mr. Ashiya are waiting in another room, so you can go ahead and leave together. We might need you back here later on if we find out anything, though.”

“I am _not_ leaving with them!”

I go to the front of the police station.

As do we.

“Yeahhh, sorry about that. We couldn’t think of anyone else, so...”

“We truly, _truly_ wished to avoid relying upon you for this, but...”

“When that detective showed up at the door, man, we were freaking out. I had no idea they could track down our address from my bike! That’s some pretty killer police work.”

“And the Hero truly _was_ faking her age, too.”

“Yeah, just like I said, right? You can’t do something like rent a condo if you’re underage - not unless you get some guarantors and you parents’ approval. I don’t know what kind of trick she pulled off, but I figured she _had_ to be registered as an adult, at least twenty years of age. Funny, huh? Usually people round their age _downward_ if they want to lie about it.”

“Indeed. Unless she wanted to buy some beer. Could that be the main motivation, perhaps?”

“ _It doesn’t matter!_ ”

Your shrill scream makes us cower before you, covering our ears.

Shrill?!

“Why...? Why does it have to be me...?”

I am shaking with anger at this point.

“Why do I, the Hero of Ente Isla, have to serve as a personal ID reference for a bunch of demons?!”

People are starting to stare.

“Sh-shut up! You’re being too loud!”

I smile distractedly at the people staring, and push Emilia out of the police station.

“What do you want from us? I told you, we couldn’t think of anyone else!”

“I had thought about Ms. Kisaki at MgRonald...but even if my liege _was_ the victim here, I feared she would fire him for issues with the law.”

“Ahh, I doubt Kisaki’s that kind of manager...but, no, I don’t want to bother, her either.”

I am uninterested in their excuses.

“What?! So it’s okay to bother _me_ , then?”

“Well, hey, it’s the Devil King’s job to bother the Hero, isn’t it?”

For I _am_ an evil villain.

*sigh*

I run a frustrated hand through my hair.

“How did you even get my phone number?! You didn’t go snooping through my phone last night, did you?”

“Of course not! You had to write it down when we got taken to the station last time remember?”

“Okay, but...but why did you have to name _me_?!”

“There was nobody else! What do you want from us? We don’t have any friends, either! Besides, c’mon, we let you sleep over last night.”

“Nnnnnnghhhh!!”

“Hey, is that your work uniform, by the way? The Hero’s a secretary or something? That’s pretty cool.”

“Who asked you?!”

“Look, calm yourself, Emilia. What kind of Hero acts like that?”

Are you Lawful Good or not?

“I don’t need you lecturing me, Alciel! Look at you guys! It’s the start of the month, and your refrigerator's absolutely barren! They called you the greatest strategist of the demon forces! Hah! Don’t you idiots have a budget or something?!”

I fall to the ground, groaning something about it not being my fault as I do so.

“Will you people just take care of yourselves a little more, please?! I had someone making death threats to me over the phone today! And you’re being targeted too, Devil King! Better be careful, you got that?!”

“What?”

I ignore your question. I place one hand on my hip, puff out my chest, and point a finger straight at you.

“You got that?! I’m warning you, all right?! But don’t you forget this! I’m the Hero, and I’m going to slay the Devil King and guide Ente Isla into a bold era of peace! Okay?!”

“I appreciate you enthusiasm, but please, try not to forget we’re in public.”

I look frantic.

I’m rolling around on the ground, crying.

And I continue jabbing a finger at the Devil King, ranting on. This is, until I notice the officers and visitors staring at me. At this point my entire face goes red.

“I...I...uh... Look, just be careful, all right?! That’s all I want to say!”

“Thank for the warning...”

I ignore your response, swing my tote around and quickly stride off.

“Me... _and_ her. They’re after us both. And yet they called, huh?”

I take a moment to pick Alciel up off the ground.

“Get a grip on yourself, Ashiya.”

“It...it wasn’t my fault...I kept a perfect accounting ledger...”

“Snap out of it! Look, let’s go home. I need to meet up with Chi later.”


	18. Chapter 18

“Dammit! Those cops made me waste so much of my off day.”

“But it worked out well in the end, did it not? They even fixed your flat tires for you.”

I groan as a wheel Dullahan back to the apartment. Once there I check my phone to see if I have any new messages.

The mystery texter hasn’t replied.

But you do have a new message from Chiho. It reads: _I’m not playing around and it’s not a joke. I think an earthquake’s coming_. After a few more texts she clarifies that she believes an earthquake has a chance of occurring sometime soon. She goes on to explain why.

Even so I think a direct conversation would be the best way to get to the bottom of this, so I offer to meet her this evening.

“What did Sasaki tell you?”

“Something about hearing a voice.”

“Huh?”

“A man’s voice. She said it was giving her some kind of weird warning or something.”

“That doesn’t make sense. This isn’t a movie or an anime. You don’t see high school girls suddenly get telepathic messages out of nowhere.”

You’re a demon, in what is supposed to be a fantasy campaign, and you’re skeptical about a _PC_ receiving telepathic messages?

“Yeah, I just thought she was having weird teenage delusions, too. At first.”

I smile grimly.

“The thing is, I figured she’d have a more grandiose story behind it, but apparently Chi started having strange experiences once she got hired at MgRonald.”

“Once she made contact with you, my liege? That’s when it began?”

“‘Made contact’ isn’t exactly the term I’d use, but you could say that, yeah. She started to have ringing in her ears, and whenever there was an earthquake, it’d be huge only in the area around Chi. You know, I may not look it, but I’m still king of the demon realm, right?”

“Absolutely, and you do not, my liege.”

“... _Meaning_ , it wouldn’t be strange at all if even my mere presence was having an effect on the people and things around me. I am Devil King, after all.”

You know, an unaware observer might mistake _you_ for having weird teenage delusions right now.

“But in that case, why aren’t you affecting anyone else on the MgRonald staff?”

Because Chiho’s the only PC on the MgRonald staff?

I was going more for an in universe explanation.

“Who knows? Maybe they just haven’t noticed. Or, it’s entirely possible that Chi’s just imagining things. But we did just kinda get attacked with bolts of magic, and Emi got that death threat, too, right? I don’t know who we’re fighting, but it’s possible they figured out who we are so they could put more pressure on us. And in the worst case...”

“In the worst case, you think Chiho might be the enemy’s advance party?”

“I don’t want to think like that, but...yeah. Anyway, we have to explore every possibility, no matter how remote.”

And that would explain why the GM said things weren’t so simple as just flinging Ente Islan attackers at us to keep the excitement levels up.

Because, goodness knows, _nothing_ can be simple when PC’s are involved.

Exactly, we tend to do unexpected things.

_You’re_ telling _me_ that?

“I understand, Your Demonic Highness. But...in that case, I wish to accompany you. If whoever attacked last night is involved in this, it would be best to have as many eyes on the street as possible.”

“And you just want to see Chi, don’t you?”

I needle Alciel, a mischievous look on my face.

I respond with a defiant sneer.

“If I may, Your Demonic Highness... If I were not holding watch over it, I have little doubt you’d for get about how your bank account is empty and treat Sasaki to all sorts of things in a crass attempt to show off. And if our enemy does appear, if we do not discover and dispatch him quickly, you will become the laughingstock of the demon realm. ‘Oh look there’s the Devil King flirting with a teenage girl!’”

I fall silent at your logic.

“So where and when are you planning on meeting her, and how long will you be out?”

“What are you, my mother?! She said she had some kind of club activity after school, so we’re meeting at the Shinjuku station east exit at five.”

“Ah, so we have time. Shall we go, Your Demonic Highness?”

I begin to leave.

“Huh?”

I watch, puzzled as we have only been home a few minutes.

“We must go shopping, and then to the barber shop. Surely, Your Demonic Highness, you did not intend to go out an date with your messy hair and head to toe UniClo wardrobe?”

“Who _cares_ about my clothes and stuff? We’re just gonna have some coffee, talk for a bit, then sayonara! We don’t have to make it a -”

“ _If_ a young girl is facing trouble, she would never deign to discuss it with anyone but her closest of friends. Not even her parents. Surely, Your Demonic Highness, you understand the meaning behind confiding such close, intimate secrets to another person.”

“All...all right. Sure.”

“Wonderful. And I would hate to think that a human girl would think that my lofty master cares naught about how he looks on his day off. You must strike a lasting presence at all times! Clothes my liege, make the man!”

I stride briskly out the door.

“I will make you rue the day you berated my clothing!... And berated UniClo, the fastest growing appeal franchise in all of Japan.”


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks to those demons wasting my lunch break, my work in the afternoon severely lacks in enthusiasm. I have also grown extremely pale.

I’m concerned for her health.

“Hey, why don’t you take off a little early today?”

“Yeah...I think I should.”

“I don’t know of something happened, but...try to feel better, okay?”

“Thanks...”

I smile limply.

I see you off from work.

I plunge into the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku, wondering what great crime I have committed to deserve serving as the Devil King’s personal ID reference.

As you walk along the underground corridor towards your train line, you notice a familiar figure.

I want ignore the figure, but my pride as a Hero is at stake. So I approach the figure from behind and pull at his shoulder.

“What are you doing here, Ashiya?”

“Aghh! E-E-Emili-”

“Emi. Emi Yusa. Don’t you think you should be more careful with calling people by their real names in front of everyone, Ashiya?”

“Ngh...hh..”

I groan, a twisted look on my face.

“You’re acting weird right now. I can tell. I even thought you were stalking someone.”

“Gahh!”

My face grows even more contorted.

“Oh, bingo, huh? I’m impressed security hasn’t stopped to question you.”

I noticed him because he was hiding behind a station support column, sticking his head out into the corridor.

“It...it’s nothing to do with you! Begone!”

“Oh, is _that_ how you treat the woman who sprung you from custody, Ashiya?”

“Yooou! That was just a small favour! Don’t go bandying it about like some great, hallowed treasure!”

“You demons certainly are ungrateful, aren’t you? And besides, did you think a Hero would simply let you go unchecked after she discovered you?”

“I did not, but...please, just let go for now!”

“I never let you go during your demon days. Why should I start now?”

Opting to ignore Ashiya for the moment, I scan the area he was standing guard over.

Roll for a spot check, and your exhaustion is going to affect the outcome.

“Ah! Wait! No!”

16.

Or maybe it won’t, since you rolled so high. You realize that the demon’s guard post directly facing a small café. In one the table lining the front glass you see the Devil King and that teen from MgRonald’s he had called ‘Chi’ looking for all the world like a couple in the middle of a date.

“Whoa...”

“Ahhhh! Forgive me, my liege...!”

I begin to moan loudly behind her.

“Ow! Alci- _Ashiya_! What’s that about ?”

“I shall never breathe a word! Figure it out yourself!”

“Figure it out? Figure it out _how_?!”

I take time to ponder the scene in front of me.

“ _You_!”

I turn around, with a look of sheer spite on my face.

“Wh-what?!”

Said look of spite makes me instinctively take a step back.

“What are you two going to _do_ to that girl, you bastard?!” 

“Gah...!”

I stand motionless, stunned by the Hero’s accusation.

“Here you are, you two demons - the Devil King parading this cute little high schooler around, and you watching in the shadow - you _degenerates_!”

“Degen...!” E-Emi - no, Emi! Please, just listen to -”

“And I honestly thought you two were trying to live decent lives in Japan! Boy was _I_ wrong!”

“Y-you have it all wrong! I-I don’t know what you’re thinking of, but my liege has not a single perverse thought in his mind when he -”

“How could a Devil King not be _perverse_?!”

That is fairly sound logic.

“Please, just listen to me!”

I scream, driven halfway to tears by the Hero’s accusations. 


	20. Chapter 20

That concludes my explanation of the situation.

I have no intention of taking your words at face value, but they keep me from rushing in to slay the Devil King where he sits.

“Do...do you see now?”

“I can see that my sworn enemy is looking absolutely ridiculous, yes.”

“Nnghh...I am sorry...”

“You should be. But why does he have to go on a date with her? Couldn’t they just call or text each other?”

“I thought so as well. But she wanted to meet him directly, so here we are. Judging by what I’ve seen, I think this Chiho has at least a passing interest in my master.”

“I can see that.”

Alciel just made a great revelation to you, and this is your response?

“And that does not bother you at all?”

“What, are you disappointed I don’t care about him in particular?”

“N-no, I just... A simple human girl, having amorous feelings for the Devil King...I had considered it the pinnacle of folly, myself.”

“Me, I’m wondering what that girl sees in him. She could do a lot better.”

“How dare you insult His Demonic Highness!”

“I’m the Hero, remember? But, yeah, any girl can see that she’s into him. It’s hard to tell from this far, but that kind of dress is the ‘in’ style this summer. Her hair’s all done up, like she just went to the beauty salon, and those shoes are brand-new, too.”

“R-really? They are?”

“Ah, most men probably wouldn’t even notice. She used her wardrobe to come up with a fresh, summery look, and she’s wearing a close fitting outfit to emphasize her curves...”

I mutter something to myself.

“What is it, Yusa?”

“...Those are big.”

Without thinking, I bring a hand to my chest.

“What are?”

“Huh? N-no.. Nothing! Being big doesn’t make you a better fighter!”

“Pardon?”

What is happening right now?

“Being smaller makes it cheaper to have your own custom breastplates made up. They don’t get in the way so much when you’re moving, either.”

“...What are you talking about?”

Seriously, what are you doing?

“Nothing! B-but, you know, the Devil King’s gotten a lot more, uh, presentable, too, hasn’t he? He’s actually got some decent clothes on, too. Not that UniClo junk!”

I force a change of subject.

I look proud. I have no idea what the Hero was talking about, but this praise for my master has provided me with a rush of self-satisfaction.

“I flipped through some magazines to come up with an outfit. It wouldn’t do for some human girl to think my master dressed like a slob, after all. I’ve been performing odd jobs here and there to save up for a time like this.”

I nearly lose hold of my bag picturing the concept.

“...So, what? What’re you expecting out of her?”

“How should I know? I was merely shadowing them to ensure no one suspicious approached.”

“You’re the most suspicious guy here right now, Ashiya. Can you hear what they’re saying with your demon hearing or anything?”

“Nonsense. We demons wield superpowers because of our magic! And now that my magic is gone, I could hardly pull superhearing out of my hat or whatnot.”

So say the rules of this world set out by the GM.

I’m lost in thought, reflecting on how bad it would be if the Devil King and his General found a way to replenish their magic in this world before I learn a way to recover my holy force. I conclude the only thing I do is destroy whatever means they discover of replenishing their powers before they can harness it.

“Ashiya?”

“Wh-what?”

“You know there’s no point standing here watching them. Follow me.”

“Follow you? Where?”

“Into the café, of course. If you aren’t sure you can trust that girl yet, then you have to get closer. Listen to her while you scope out the surroundings. Otherwise, how can you call that ‘shadowing’ them?”

“I-I wouldn’t dare! What would His Demonic Highness say if I performed such a bold-”

I grab him by the scruff and begin dragging him into the café.

“- _Ahh_! Wait a minute!”


	21. Chapter 21

The Devil King had met up with Chiho a half hour before the Hero had her encounter with his general, near the entrance to Shinjuku station.

“Oh! Hey, did you cut your hair, Chi?”

“Yes! I thought I’d take the plunge and go short for a while! Do you like it?”

It’s really not that much shorter than it was before.

“Yeah. It suits you really well.”

“Aw, great!”

I gleefully pump my fist in the air.

“I thought you were gonna show up in your school uniform, though. Didn’t you have some kind of after-school club or something?”

Congratulations, you’ve put Chiho right off her _‘I did it’_ gesture.

“Oh, I’d never show up in that! No way would I wear that lame outfit to café with you, Maou! Besides, if you were walking around Shinjuku with a girl in a school uniform, people might start jumping to conclusions, you know?”

She seems oddly riled up.

“Oh, but look at _you_! I thought you never shopped anywhere except for UniClo, but you’re going upscale today, huh?”

I chuckle at her words.

“Yeah, my roomie said there was no way he’d let me out on a date in UniClo stuff.”

“Not that there’s anything bad about UniClo, but if you want to go head-to-toe with it, you gotta be careful how you coordinate it, or else it’ll turn out all weird. But, wow, you saw this as a date, huh? That’s awesome!”

I nod vaguely.

“You gotta get home before dinner, though, right?”

“Well, yeah, but...”

I nod sullenly.

“So what do you wanna do? We can’t just stand out here on the street. I don’t go out to eat much, so I can’t really think of any place to sit down and relax except MgRonald’s.”

I think in silence for a moment.

“Why don’t we go down to the Barluxe café? It’s cheap, and usually pretty laid back.”

Barluxe?

Like you can talk, you named a fast food place MgRonald.

“Oh, and don’t worry about paying! I can cover all that, if you don’t mind listening to me.”

I say this out of concern for you, since you just exude ‘working poor’.

That’s just mean.

“Nah, nah. I’m the guy here. I can cover that much for the two of us.”

So Alciel’s prediction was spot on. Figures.

“Ready to go?”

“Oh...uh, Maou?”

“Hmm?”

I stop Maou just as he is about to walk off.

“Um...”

“What? What is it?”

“Your, uh, hand?”

“Hand...?”

I turn my eyes downward, teeth clenched, my face a little red.

“Do you mind if we...uh, hold hands?”

“Sure, whatever.”

I casually pick up Chiho’s right hand.

Are you really this clueless? Or are you only playing Maou as being extremely clueless?

What?

Really that clueless it is. Surprised, I tense my body for a moment.

“What?”

“Oh, uh...no! Awesome! Uh, it’s nothing! Thank you very -”

“Sure, sure. It’s a crowded street anyway. Wouldn’t want to get separated from you.”

“Ngh...! ...You’re right, aren’t you? I kinda see that now.”

I’m trying to maintain my distance from you.

We’re holding hands.

It’s not working very well, hence my use of _trying _.__

“You’re acting kinda weird today, Chi.”

“Oh? Oh. Well, I guess it’s probably because of all this stuff that’s been happening to me!”

I avert my eyes and begin to walk, dragging your hand behind.

“Yeah... Guess so.”

Do I sense anything abnormal about Chiho?

Nope.

No noticeable change even from coming in contact with me?

None whatsoever. She appears to be a perfectly normal human.

So my only option to learn anything is to listen to Chiho’s whole story?

Basically.


	22. Chapter 22

You enter the underground shopping mall built around the JR Shinjuku entrance. The Barluxe which serves as you destination is not at all crowded, as it is the lull between early afternoon and evening.

I choose a table next to the front window, figuring that way it will be easier for Alciel to keep an eye on things. I take a look outside and spot him hiding behind a pillar some distance away.

“So anyway, Chi, how about we start with you going over the whole story again for me?”

“Okay. So I told you how my ears have started ringing a lot more since I started working a MgRonald, right? At first, I thought it was stress - like, trying new things I wasn’t comfortable with, and stuff. But you and Ms. Kisaki and everyone were so nice to me and we never have to deal with any weirdo customers or anything...and I don’t have any problems at school, either, so I thought maybe I just wasn’t feeling well.”

I nod politely.

“So then there was this really big earthquake I told you about, right? The one that hit our house, and nobody else’s. I thought, wow, _that_ was kind of weird, but last night, I was alone in my room, and all of a sudden I heard this voice talking into my ear.”

“Yeah, about that voice. What did it sound like? Different from you and me talking right now?”

I place an index finger on my chin, thinking for a moment.

“Mmm... Well, do you ever watch movies or anime or anything, Maou?”

“...Sometimes.”

Almost never.

“Well you know how they depict telepathy and stuff, right? Like, a really echo-y voice? It wasn’t like that at all.”

“No?”

“It was, like, this very dignified male voice, and it sounded really frantic. I could hear it okay, but it sounded like a radio that wasn’t tuned quite right.”

“Really?”

“Y-yeah...”

I nod, surprised at your sudden burst of lively interest.

“And everything he said was, like, really basic. Things like ‘Uh, can you hear me?’ and so on.”

That sounds like it would be enough to make most people panic.

I just sat quietly and listened.

“I ended up talking out loud to reply to him, but he just kept on saying ‘Can you hear me’ and stuff, so I guess he couldn’t hear anything from my end. So I sat around waiting for him to say something, and then I heard, like, ‘Ah, whatever. This is only going to connect to limited number of people, I’m just gonna say it. Your world’s got all sorts of weird natural events happening right. There’s gonna be a really big one before too long, so watch out. And we’ll be over there, too, once the time is right, so...’”

“...That’s it?”

“That’s it. And I don’t know what that means at all, so I figured it was, like, a wrong number or something. It definitely wasn’t for me. So I tried saying and thinking, like, That’s not for me, you got the wrong girl, but then the tuning got worse and the voice went away. My ears haven’t rung at all since.”

“So you thought the ‘natural events’ he mentioned must have been the earthquakes you’ve been feeling.”

“It took a bit to figure that out, but yeah. I was so surprised to hear that voice, I couldn’t think about anything for a while.”

I laugh a little to myself.

I ponder over what Chiho told me. The voice Chiho heard was probably a type of mental maneuver known as an ‘idea link’. It involves linking the psyches of people in two different worlds and can convert separate languages into something both parties understand.

Do you always give your players this freedom to just make up details that might be very important to the overarching plot of the campaign?

No, but if GMing a game with _these_ people has taught me anything, your players are going to do what they want with the campaign unless you railroad them heavily. They’ve also done wonders for my improvisation skills. So I figure if they have an idea about how something works, let them say it, I’ll figure out how to work it into everything else. It saves me work too, especially with this campaign.

Idea link transmissions can be transported between worlds by piggybacking them off ‘sonar’ signals. These sonar signals trigger invisible explosions of magic, which take on different forms depending on the world in which they land. In Japan, they manifest as earthquakes. Thus, the oddly focused earthquake Chiho experienced was the direct result of a sonar signal hitting her house.

I’ll take over from here.

Go for it, I was out of ideas, anyway.

The general use of sonar in Ente Isla is assess the conditions in a world on the other side of a Gate, through the shockwaves released by the magical explosion created when it lands.

So the assassin after us followed our tracks through the Gate this world and is using sonar to more specifically locate us?

Possibly, he certainly used it when he was attacking you and the Hero. That shaking you felt was a bit of short wave sonar used to gauge you magical response.

Cool. Looks like you have a really powerful enemy lined up for us at the end of this campaign.

You could say that.


	23. Chapter 23

“Ahh... I’m really glad I could get this off my chest, Maou.”

“Huh?”

“Thanks a lot. I knew you’d believe in me.”

“Oh, no, no, it was nothing...”

“No, it is! Most people wouldn’t give the time of day to a story like that. I’m in my late teens. If I came out with a story like this, they wouldn’t just laugh - they’d be seriously worried about me. Like, why can’t this girl tell the difference between fantasy and reality?”

“Huh... Yeah, I guess so.”

I try my best to reassure Chiho.

“Well, you know, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I can...”

You notice the Hero and Alciel entering the café together.

We sit down at a table and I begin listening intently to your conversation.

“... _grnghghff_!!”

I begin choking on my drink.

I offer you a glass of water, alarmed by your sudden choking fit.

I gulp it down, trying to get a handle on my situation.

“Maou?”

“Ahem! Sorry, I’m fine. Guess something went down the wrong pipe. I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Huh?”

“Forget it. It’s perfectly normal for someone to discuss matters with their coworker, and there’s nothing at all dark or sinister about it, so I am definitely not here for any malevolent reason.”

“Um, are you all right, Maou?”

“Mm? Oh, sorry, Chi. Don’t worry about it. Just had kind of a seizure there.”

“A...seizure?”

“Fossa Magna.”

“Maou?!”

Is the seizure just an excuse for his weird behaviour or is he actually having a seizure?!

Just an excuse.

Than what was this ‘Fossa Magna’ business?

He’s so agitated he’s lapsing back into Islan.

Islan?

We decided not to go with there just being a common language between all worlds.

Okay, obviously they all learned Japanese at some point.

That was one of the first things they did. They kind of had to.

“No, no, I’m sorry. I’m all right, so... Uh...anyway! Putting everything you said together, I don’t think that voice or the ringing in your ears is any kind of of direct problem for you. What really matters is whether anything really bad _is_ going to happen, that ‘really big one’ you mentioned. Will it, or won’t it? _That’s_ the key here!”

I’m wonderstuck by your bizarre behaviour, but nod nonetheless.

“Luckily it doesn’t sound like that man had any malicious intent when he reached out to you. If anything does come up, just let people around you know. That could make a big difference.”

“I...guess so, yeah.”

“That’s about all I can say for now. Sorry it’s not really any kind of real solution.”

“Thanks you very much, Maou. This really feels like a weight’s been lifted from my shoulders.”

“Oh? Well, great.”

I continue to listen in.

“By the way...what made you think to talk to me about this?”

“Um...You know...I don’t know. I guess I just thought you’d believe me, Maou. You’ve always been to me, and...I dunno, you’re kind of different from other people.”

“Yeah, I guess I’m a little weird, huh?”

“Oh, no! I mean, I didn’t mean that in a bad way or anything.”

I seem oddly frantic.

I smile at your predictability.

“I know, I know. Hey, try not to gesture all frantic like that. You’re gonna spill your drink.”

“Aw, you’re really mean sometimes, Maou!”

I let out a cough.

“But, I don’t mind if you’re weird. It was fun getting to have some coffee and talk with you like this.”

“Mm?”

“So...uh, Maou?”

I blush a healthy shade of red.

“I...I think I...”

“Stop right there!”

I freeze.

Is no one going to let me reveal this girl’s feelings to him? I turn and look quizzically at the woman glaring down at us.

“Nothing good’s gonna happen if you hang out with this guy.”

“E-Emi! What’re -”

“I just want to give you some advice. This guy’s going to be away from Japan before too long. You better just keep things where they are now, or else it’s gonna hurt you later on.”

I stand half crouched behind the Hero, having failed to stop her in time.

“I’m sorry but do you know Maou at all, ma’am?”

“Listen. I’m telling you this for your sake, all right? This man isn’t what he looks like. He’s a lot sharper...and a lot more brutal inside.”

“You can’t just come out of the blue and say those horrible things about him! How do you know Maou, anyway?”

I look on from behind Emilia, swaying nervously from side to side.

“I am this man’s enemy. Nothing more than that, and nothing less. Listen to me, Chiho Sasaki. I’ve given you my warning. Hang around with Maou, and you’re not gonna come out of it happy.”

“Y-Yusa, knock it off!”

“Here, calm down a little, Chi.”

Are we doing diplomacy checks?

Yes. ...3?!

10.

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

7?

9.

“Please stay silent, Maou.”

Both diplomacy checks fail. The women continue their argument.

“No, I mean...I don’t want to cause any trouble for the café, so... How about we go outside, okay?”

The staff and the rest of customers are staring at the argument.

“Oh! Now I remember. You came into our restaurant the other day, didn’t you, lady?”

“...What of it?”

“You were talking to Maou then, too, as I recall. Are you his ex or something?”

“Nngh! _What_ did you say?!”

“I thought you might be. Well, how I approach Maou shouldn’t be any concern of yours anymore, should it?”

“Can you stop talking stupid for a moment? He and I don’t have that kind of -”

“You don’t? So why are you always lurking around wherever Maou is?”

“Look, our relationship can’t really be summed up that easily, okay?”

“Oh, so you were _that_ close with him? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“What would _ever_ make you think that?”

“What other way _is_ there to see it?”

“Can the two of you just calm-”

Before you can finished your sentence, a loud rumble courses across the café.


	24. Chapter 24

“Earthquake!”

“It’s a big one!”

The next scream is drowned out by a massive, stomach-churning groan as the shaking begins. The up-and-down motion is so intense that it is impossible to remain standing. Utensils and furnishings fall to the floor as the lighting and window glass shatter.

“Look out!”

A crack in ceiling suddenly opens up, and spreads towards the support columns.

“It’s gonna fall...”

The ceiling begins to buckle, pulverizing the table the Devil King and Chiho were sitting around.

“Maou!”

Your voice fails to reach the Devil King. The ceiling crumbles above you. The entire corridor begins to collapse. Everyone, check you phones.

Awesome. Can I use this?

Sure, just text as to how. Now roll to see if you are injured.

18.

12.

17.

9.

Alciel, Satan, and Chiho escape without injuries, though the stress causes Chiho to lose consciousness.

Seriously?

Emilia sustains a cut on her forehead. Less than half an hour after the collapse, Chiho regains consciousness.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“Oh, good, you’re awake.”

You can’t see the speaker.

“Wh-Who’s that?”

“It’s me.”

“You...”

You can faintly see the face of the woman who so rudely interrupted your date with Maou. Her face has something black flowing down her forehead.

“Are...are you all right?!”

“Oh, this?”

I absentmindedly wipe my face.

I scream.

“This is nothing big.”

“But...but all that blood...”

“It’s not as bad as it looks. It’ll clot up in a little bit.”

I’m holding a cell phone in my hand, providing us a light source. I look around the area using the cellphone as a light source.

There’s rubble from the underground corridor surrounding you on all sides.

“This is bad news, though. We’re completely shut in."

“From...from the earthquake?”

“Yeah. I guess the corridor collapsed. There’s probably a ton of people buried alive in here.”

“H-how long was I...?”

“It’s been less than half an hour since the quake. It looks like we’re breathing okay, so there must be some path for air to get through.”

I test out my body to see if I hurt anywhere.

Nothing hurts in particular.

“You’re pretty calm about all of this.”

“Yeah, well. A little while ago, things like this were an everyday occurrence. You seem like you’ve gotten used to to theatrical fights though, so aren’t you acting a little calm right now, yourself?”

“It’s because I have an older sister who’s probably crying alone right now.”

I smile.

“I’m Emi Yusa. And just to be clear, there’s absolutely nothing between me and Maou.”

“My name is Chiho Sasaki. Let’s leave it that for now.”

We shake hands.

“Maou...?”

“Nowhere near us, that much is for sure. He can’t be that far away, though.”

“No, I mean...”

“Oh, you’re wondering if he got crushed by rubble? Well, it’d make me more than happy if he died right here, but he’s definitely alive. No way I’m gonna let him die now. I want to kill him by my own hand. Dying by accident in a disaster like this... That’s just pathetic. I’m not letting him off _that_ easy.”

“Yeah... You’re right. I’m sure he’s safe.”

“Of course he is.”

I sit down next to Chiho and power off my cell phone to save battery time.

“This is kind of weird, though, isn’t it?”

“Weird? How so?”

“Like, having this perfect little space here, just big enough for the two of us.”

“...Oh. There are probably little pockets like this all across the rubble. I think I can feel miniature-sized magic barriers nearby. Lots of them, too. Maou must have done something or other.”

“Magic...barriers?”

“If I had to bet, I’d say nobody’s dead in here. In fact, the farthest barrier isn’t even fifty metres away. This might not be as widespread as it looks. I suppose we all need to thank him...”

That would be nice.

“...but what would drive the Devil King to do this? Just deciding to save all these people’s lives spur-of-the-moment?”

Please tell me that’s not it.

“Um...you mean Maou?”

“If he had enough magic force left to create this many barriers in the space of a few seconds...he’s more of a potential menace than I thought. He probably created this pocket for us, too.”

“Here? Maou...made this?"

“Yeah. So he could save us. This pisses me off _so_ much! Why would a demon go around rescuing heroes?”

Good question.

“I mean, it’s like _I’m_ some kind of egocentric villain here because I couldn’t create a protective wall with my holy force!”

“Um...I’m not really sure what you mean, Yusa...”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just talking to myself.”

I chuckle.

“Look, what do you even see in Maou?”

“Huh?! What...what...what’re you talking about?!”

“You were mouthing off at me because you like him and didn’t like what I was telling you. Weren’t you?”

“L-like? I-I’m not, I don’t like...”

I thrash my arms and legs for a moment, then whine in frustration.

“Y-you...you can’t just tell, so easy, like that!”

I chuckle again.

“The girl herself is always the last to know. Anyone watching you, it’s totally obvious. I'm not sure if Maou himself knows yet, though.”

Likely not.

“Nngh...Wh-wh-what do you think of him, Y-Yusa?”

“Me?”

“You seem like his total enemy or whatever you said, but you’re always hanging around him... It _seems_ like you were kind of close, anyway.”

“...I’d absolutely hate to use the word close to describe it. I’ll admit that we’ve kind of known each other for while, but...”

“How long?”

“Well, I knew about him first, but I guess he started paying attention to me around two years ago.”

“Did you both graduate from the same middle school or something?”

“No. If we did, maybe we would’ve had a more stable relationship, though.”

I chuckle to myself.

“But I’m telling you the truth here. If you starting liking him, it’s gonna be tough for you. That’s why I tried to stop you, at least.”

“Well...yeah, but I still don’t really understand.”

“You will soon enough...or maybe it’s better if you didn’t. For now, anyway.”

I raise my hand and place my finger on Chiho’s forehead.

“You’d better sleep for a bit. The Devil King’s been acting really self-conscious around other people lately.”

The tip of my finger glows softy, putting Chiho into a deep sleep.

“Sorry you had to listen to all that complaining. You’ll forget about it all by the time you wake up.”

I place my finger on Chiho’s forehead again, casting another spell.

You wiped my memories, seriously?

As far as I know, you are just an ordinary coworker of Maou’s, who is not involved in this in any way. So I decided to keep it that way for now.


	25. Chapter 25

“You’re right nearby, aren’t you? I just put Chiho to sleep!”

A large magical force balloons up nearby.

“Yeah, thanks for that conversation. You putting it that way, though...I guess our relationship’s pretty complicated, huh?”

“Gee, you think? It’s not like either of us _wanted_ to be near each other. It’s a pain in the ass, mostly.”

“You said it.”

Maou’s voice sounds like he’s standing on top on of something.

“You help Chi out, okay? We’re getting out of here. I don’t think anyone’s seriously hurt, but we can’t all just sit here and wait for rescue.”

A light flickers in the darkness, a bloodred glow you know horrifyingly too well.

“D-Devil King!”

“What?”

You can see the Devil King by the light of his magic. While his face remains unchanged, there are horns poking out of his hair. His legs have transformed into demon’s, which is why his voice sounds higher up. But his transformation back into his demonic form appears to have stopped there.

“You...you look... What _happened_ to you?!”

“Dunno. Just kind of happened.”

What happened to him?

He regained some of his magic.

How?!

Well, I’ve already texted him the answer.

But I have to figure it out myself?

Yep.

“So I have the barriers up, and it’ll be easy to get this rubble out of the way. But this still isn’t enough power to control the Gate, so don’t worry about that, okay? I’ll have to find a way to keep the barriers going while I get the rubble out of the way. Who knows how I’m going to explain this new look, though.”

I infuse my magic into the rubble around me.

I stare at your back. I could take this opportunity to muster the last of my holy force to finish you off, but doing that would cancel out the magic protecting everyone here. I curse myself.

“Why? Why is the Devil King _saving_ people?”

That is an excellent question, why _would_ a supposedly evil character decide to save everyone here?

Spur-of-the-moment?

Ugh.


	26. Chapter 26

Can I ask you something while we wait for the others to get here?

Sure, what is it?

What’s you character’s story? Like, what’s the in universe reason she joined the campaign? Why does she hate demons?

Well, it’s probably best to start at the beginning with this. As far back as she can remember the land of Ente Isla lay in delicate balance between the Devil King’s forces and those of the human race, led by Ente Isla’s Church armies. She’s an only child, daughter of a farmer named Nord Justina.

Her mother wasn’t in the picture?

She thought her mother was dead until she turned 12. That was when the clergy came to her small village. At first she thought a Church guard had moved in to protect her village as the province right next to hers had just fallen to Lucifer’s army. But instead the bishops had come for her.

Why?

Because she’s a nephilim, her mother being an archangel.

Then why did you call her human when introducing her?

Because that’s how she sees herself, as a human who just so happens to have some divine parentage. The bishops took her to the Church’s headquarters on the Western continent and her father stayed in their village, despite her pleas for him to come with her. Soon the news came that her village, despite the best efforts of the Church, had been razed by Lucifer’s army.

The old doomed hometown.

The bishops told her of the holy sword, Better Half, which would grant her the power to defeat the Devil King and come only be used by the child of a human and an angel. These stories didn’t really interest her though, all she wanted was the power to take revenge against the demons for the destruction of her peaceful village. She trained on the sword and on the battlefield until she was known as the leader of the guard fighting the Devil King’s hoards.

Is this when you picked up your NPC companions?

Yes, there was Olba Meiyer, one of the six archbishops of the Church, archbishop being the highest position in the Ente Islan Church...”

Is he the one who was supposed to follow you through the Gate until the GM intervened for reasons unknown?

Yeah he was, still don’t know why I couldn’t bring him along.

Like I said, I have my reasons.

Who else?

Emeralda Etuva, an alchemist from the empire of Saint Aile, which had fallen to Lucifer’s forces, and Albert Ende, a martial artist cum woodcutter from the mountains of the Northern continent.

Anything else of note?

Emilia wasn’t granted Better Half until she turned sixteen, after she had become a warrior capable of wielding it. The Holy Silver that makes up the sword was instilled directly into her body, hence why it functions like a summoned weapon.

Oh, okay. I was wondering about that.

The rest you know already. She rallied the humans of Ente Isla and defeated three of the four Great Demon Generals before the Devil King and Alciel fled into the Gate, and she followed in pursuit.

Hey, sorry we’re late! Did we miss anything?

No, we were just talking character backstory.

Want to hear mine?

Maybe some other time, now that everyone’s here we can pick up where we left off.


	27. Chapter 27

The scene aboveground is chaotic. The street is closed off to traffic and the site of the collapse is ringed by several dozen rescue vehicles and a horde of media vehicles are lodged right outside the ring. By the time rescuers made it to the underground corridor, the Devil King had already extracted all the victims from the rubble.

But the exertion exhausted me and drained what magic I was able to gain, and as a result to rescuers found me lying facedown on the ground with the other victims.

Once the victims came to, almost all of them rose back to their feet. Emilia, with the cut on her forehead, was actually the most seriously injured there. Chiho opened her eyes with a light slap on the cheek, though she for some reason cannot recall the contents of her conversation with the Hero after the earthquake.

I sit up and look at Maou sitting next to me.

“Well, at least we’re okay.”

“Y-yeah...”

I pat Chiho on the head.

I look confused, but smile weakly nonetheless.

You can see Emilia being treated for her injuries in a nearby ambulance. A police officer approaches the two of you.

“Excuse me, are you both victims? You’re both pretty lucky you weren’t seriously hurt. I apologize for intruding, but we need to confirm the identities of all the victims, so would you be able to write down your contact information to provide compensation and any personal effects we recover later on.”

He hands you a ledger with several names and addresses already jotted down on it.

I add my information to the list.

As do I.

“Hmm? Say, you aren’t Lieutenant Sasaki’s daughter, are you?”

“Um, if you mean Sen’ichi Sasaki from the Harajuku department, then yes.”

The patrol officer nods.

“Ah, I thought so. Lieutenant Sasaki’s somewhere out here on the scene right now, too. We’re having parents or guardians pick up the minors here, so I’ll get him on the radio. Better if the lieutenant knew you were safe first, before he learned you were caught up in this.”

“Oh! Sure!”

I nod my approval.

The officer takes out his radio and begins talking, calling for Chiho’s father.

I begin to fidget restlessly.

“Um, Maou...?”

“Your dad, right? Yeah, I imagine. Even if nothing bad happened, I bet he wouldn’t be a fan of you getting involved in this because you were on a date with some guy, huh?”

“...I’m sorry.”

“No, no it’s all right! We’re both okay; that’s the important thing. I’ll see you at work, okay? Next time I’ll teach you how to maintain the ice cream machine. See you!”

I wave my hand in the air and walk away from Chiho.

I bow towards you.

After a distance I turn around to look Chiho again.

You see another uniformed officer, making his way through the crowd towards Chiho. You recognize him as one of the officers that you encountered upon first arriving in Japan.

“‘Patrolman Sasaki’, huh? That’s no coincidence. If that guy was responding at all to our magical force back then...”

“Devil King!”

“Gah!”

I’m standing right behind his back.

“So you’re back to Sadao Maou now, hmm?”

“What do I look like, some kind of wild boar?”

“I’m not here to joke around with you, Maou.”

“I don’t know. It was a total coincidence that I reverted just now. I don’t know what caused it, and that little bit of exertion was all it took to turn back to this form, too.”

“It’s not gonna help you if you hide anything from me.”

“Man, you’re sounding less and less like a Hero every day.”

And you’re sounding less and less like a demon every day. You really have no room to criticize.

“You can keep on stalking me if you want, but I don’t think I’ll be transforming again anytime soon. Though I _might_ try taking action based on today’s events, you know.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Oh, you know, go out to eat in more underground food courts, wait around for another collapse.”

“Don’t be stupid with me.”

“Ah, lay off. I’m gonna go home and sleep. I’m tired.”

“Wait!”

“Quit it, would you! Nothing else is gonna happen today, okay? Whether it was a coincidence or not, I had my magic power back, but _your_ attack was a total failure.”

I wave Emilia off.

“My attack? What do you mean?”

“You were listening in on me and Chi, right? Like, starting halfway through?”

I shrug.

“No way is what she’s going through normal. All this happened when you and I were here. Someone hatched it on us. I don’t know if it was a sonar pulse or magical interference or whatever, but what I _do_ know is, our cover’s been blown.”

“So our enemy...?”

“He’s right nearby, yeah. We just never noticed before. And I bet he didn’t attempt a second stab because I was about to return to my full Devil body.”

“B-but...but what was that? We’re in Japan. You can’t refill your strength; I can’t refill mine. How could they unleash this kind of force?”

I flash a wry smile.

“Oh, I have my ideas.”

“What? Oh, come _on_!”

You’re not going to tell me either?

“Not that I have any duty to tell you. It’s not like you could do anything about it. But I’ll give you a hint, anyway. Don’t want you getting all panicked whenever things go down.”

“...A hint?”

“Sure. First off, whether it’s indirect or not, our opponent’s throwing around his powers like crazy, whenever he wants to. Think about who could do that in Ente Isla right now, huh? Someone who’s apparently confident that he could kill the both of us?”

Wait, have you actually figured out who’s behind all this?

Yep, texted me the answer. To which I responded not to tell anyone else.

“Got it yet? I’m going home. I need to think about how to counter him. Plus, I’m tired.”

“W-wait! Wait a minute. I still need-”

“You still need to talk? Great. But how ‘bout we take a rain check for today? You got company.”


	28. Chapter 28

I point over Emilia’s shoulder.

There is a figure stretching her body past the police tape behind the ambulance, waving excitedly towards you.

“Rika...”

“Oh, is that your coworker or something? She keeps calling your name, did you notice that?”

I begin waving more fervently after noticing Emi’s look of recognition.

“So you do have friends.”

“That’s none of your business! Stop bothering me!”

I turn my back on the Devil King.

“Hey, I’m just being jealous. Here, go say hello to her.”

“But... you think they’re going to strike again once things settle down?”

I laugh haughtily.

“Doubt it. He declared that both you and I were his targets. If he attacks one of us, that’s gonna set off alarms for the other guy, right? Trust me. I know how an evil villain thinks. I’m the best one out there.”

That’s debatable.

“Well? C’mon. Don’t keep her waiting.”

I give Emilia a push.

I take a step forward, then whip my head around.

“Just for today, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah. ‘Don’t try anything funny,’ right? Sure thing.”

I quickly jog away.

I embrace her from behind the tape, tears running down my face.

I chuckle to myself.

“If she’s trying to demotivate me, she’s damn well succeeding.”

I turn on my heels, preparing to walk away from the scene.

“Your Demonic Hiiiighness...”

“Agh! Ashiya!”

I nearly collide with him.

“I-I’m so sorry, my liege!”

“What’s that from all of a sudden? For that matter, where _were_ you?”

I sniffle pathetically in front of you, pointing out an ambulance in the distance.

“I allowed Emilia to approach us... I failed to notice our advancing foe... And you even saved my life, my liege! How could I ever... ever repaaaaaaaay you?!”

I wearily push the dusty, blubbering Alciel to the side.

“Look, will you shut up? Stop sobbing like that in public. You look terrible. C’mon, let’s go home. You aren’t hurt are you?”

“N-n-no.. No, nooo! Th-thank you for...for caring...!”

You get stopped three times by police officers checking your identities as you leave. After that, you nearly get caught by the media covering the scene. By the time you arrive home, it’s two hours later. In the meantime, Emilia had encountered her coworker at barricade.

“Oh my _goodness_ , what a surprise! You, like, always go down to that food court, right, Emi? I thought maybe you got caught up in all that, and... You know, I was just beside myself!”

I confirm that Emi is alright before breaking out into tears.

“I couldn’t get you on the phone, you didn’t respond to any of my texts... So I was like ‘oh, no’, so I ran over here, but no way they would let me in...I’m telling you, I was in a panic!”

“Sorry to make you worry.”

“No! No, it’s not your fault, Emi! I mean if anything it was bad luck! Or maybe _good_ luck, I guess, since you’re okay now! Were you hurt really bad?”

I just noticed the bandage.

“I cut my forehead a little bit. Enough to draw blood. But it’s nothing big. I didn’t need stitches or anything.”

“So can you go home now?”

“Well, I gave the police my contact info, and the paramedics told me about hospitals and compensation and stuff. They said they’d take me to the hospital once things settle down, but this is really the only injury I have, so...”

“Ooh, well you better not run off home yet, then! Better at least get a medical note form the hospital. Do you have your phone and some money?”

“I have my phone, but everything else is in my bag, under the rubble. Ahh! My insurance card, my passport...my seal...”

“Okay, take this. Lemme know once you’re out of the hospital. I’ll meet you over there.”

I take three 10 000 yen bills out of my wallet and press them into Emi’s hand.

“R-Rika?”

“Hey, you never know when you’re gonna need it at a time like this! Plus, you don’t want the media catching you, so call me, all right?”

I push Emi back behind the tape, making shooing motions with my hands.

I humour her, turning back once there is enough distance between us.

I’m confronting a man, presumably from the media, who wants to talk to someone who spoke to a victim. I chase the man away, looking plainly annoyed. After that I disappear into the crowd.

I return to the ambulance that bandaged me and travel with several other victims to the nearest hospital.

The doctor examines you thoroughly, and classifies you injury as “light” Nonetheless, he exaggerates a bit on his official report, smiling to you as he does so.

“If I were a young woman like you, if something scratched _me_ on the forehead, I’d hope to get some compensation from it.”

By the time you leave the examination room, it is past 9pm.

I use a green public phone to call Rika.

“Hello, Rika?”

“Emi? Hello! How’d it go?”

“Well the doctor examined me all over, but they said it was nothing big. He disinfected my scratch and gave me some medication just in case, but he said I didn’t have to take it unless it hurt.”

“Oh! Okay, I’m so glad it’s nothing serious! Where’s you hospital?”

“Shinjuku. The university hospital.”

“Got it. I’ll be right over, so hang tight, okay?”

“Oh, it’s all right. I don’t need to bother you.”

“Oh? Is your family there or something?”

“No, uh, my parents aren’t in Japan, so...”

“Oh, really? Like, overseas?!”

In the background you can here me preparing to leave.

“Yeaaah, that sort of thing.”

“Well, all the more reason I better keep an eye on you! I’ll go take a taxi there right now. It’ll be about ten minutes, all right? See you then!”

“Whoa, Rika, wait a -!”

I hang up my phone before you can finish.

I stare at green handset, stunned by how quickly Rika hung up on me.

You sit in the waiting room until the receptionist calls your name. You have to pay the fees for your examination now, but you can send in an invoice with the appropriate documentation to be compensated later.

I use the money Rika gave me to pay the receptionist.

As you accept your receipt and the prescription for your medication, you notice a taxi stopped outside the lobby and Rika walking inside.

“Are you okay, Emi?!”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks a lot. You’re being a big help.”

I bring up the receipt and the prescription to Rika’s eyes.

“See? Told you.”

I smile.

“I’m just happy it was nothing serious. Here, how about you stay at my place tonight? I’ve got the taxi waiting.”

“S-sure, but it that really okay?”

“Oh, of course! No need to worry about anything, okay? C’mon!”

I take you outside and throw you into the taxi.


	29. Chapter 29

“So, anyway, if you aren’t hurt anywhere else, you should go take a shower and get changed first. I can lend you my sweats for today; you’ll be more comfortable in those.”

I hand you a neatly folded sweatshirt and pants as well as a hanging wardrobe bag.

“And put your old clothes in here. Better not throw them away, even if they’re ripped or whatever.”

“Why not?”

I meekly remove my clothes as ordered.

“Because you might get whatever company manages that food court to pay for it, is why! No harm in keeping the evidence safe until it’s all over.”

Have to keep any possible avenues of loot collection open?

Exactly.

“Oh. Makes sense. I’m impressed, though, Rika. You sure know a lot about this kind of thing.”

“Well, you know, I’ve been through a thing or two in my life. Oh, the bathroom’s that way. I’ve got some brand new underwear you can take home, too. I’m pretty sure we wear the same bra size.”

I check the size of what I was given and it does appear to be the same size I wear.

“Really, though, thank you so much for everything. I’ll be in the bathroom.”

I get into the shower.

“I put a towel on top of the washer in the changing room, okay? Oh, and here’s a washcloth if you need it. The body soap’s on the far left-hand side.”

I offer you a washcloth through a crack in the bathroom door.

“Did you eat dinner, by the way?”

“Ooh, to be honest, I’m about ready to die of starvation more than anything else.”

I break into a broad smile.

“Well, I’ll whip up something quick for you, so enjoy the shower, okay? You’re good for anything, right?”

I leave the changing room so you can fully enjoy the shower in silence.

For some reason you find it oddly difficult to calm down, but sensation is by no means unpleasant.

“...Weird.”

You’ve never experienced any feeling like this before. You feel as though a soft light has been kindled in your mind; like you are being gently wrapped in an angel’s wings.

That was oddly poetic for you.

There was really no other way to convey that.

What is _that_?

You should figure it out soon.


	30. Chapter 30

“Well, here’s to your good health. Cheers!”

We click our glasses of mineral water together.

I begin eagerly working on the leftovers Rika warmed up for me.

“If you’ve got that kind of appetite, I guess there really _is_ nothing to worry about, huh?”

I smile, relieved.

“But, still, be careful all right? Sometimes injuries like that can relapse and get you into trouble later on.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for everything, Rika. Really. I promise I’ll pay you back later.”

“Well, it’s the least I could do! I mean, you lost your purse and your bank book! That’d be a disaster for anyone.”

After some more chitchat, I casually turn on the TV.

There is nothing on but news reports about the corridor collapse.

I rapidly flick through the channels until I finally stop on a music program.

I turn towards the TV.

You notice a photograph propped on top of the TV stand.

Your attention does not go unnoticed.

“Oh, that’s my family.”

“Is that your sister down there? You sure look alike.”

“You, know that’s what everyone says! If you ask me, though, I’ve never seen the resemblance.”

I smile, but then the phone in my bag begins to ring.

“Mind if I get that?”

I nod.

I pick up the phone.

“Hello?...Pfft. Wella _course_ it’s me. Who else’re ya expectin’, calling up this number?”

I look toward Rika, surprised. Wanted to do an accent did you?

“Oh, yall got that? Cool. Nah, it ain’t nothin’ that expensive. I drink it all the time. Plus which, ‘ell, Gramps’ll drink anythin’ if it says ‘shochu liquor’ on the label, am I right? So I’m a-comin’ back in August, okay?...Huh? Accident? Oh, yeah, that was right close to my job, but I’m okay, so... You tell that to everyone else too, all right? Yeah. Byeeeeeee.”

I plug my phone into the charger on the wall and insert it into the phone jack.

“That was Ma. She was all worked up about the stuff on TV, but I didn’t feel like goin’ all at it talkin’ about you all night.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard your original accent before, Rika.”

“Oh, no? I didn’t realize. I always fall into that whenever I’m talking to folks back home. We all live in Kobe.”

“Wow. It sounds kind of fresh and new to me. I’ve never really left Tokyo at all, but I’d love to go out west sometime.”

I focus back on my dinner. By the time the music program ends, I’ve polished off everything Rika put out for me.

“Wow. Nice job. Guess you’re just fine now, huh?”

“Thanks to you. Should I go rinse off the dishes?”

I place my dishes in the sink.

“Thanks! Just leave them there, okay? I’ll wash them later.”

“Sure thing. Oh, uh, you mind if I watch the news?”

“Mmm? Not really, but are you sure?”

I nod at you.

“I want to check the weather and stuff. Besides I’m sure they’ll have other things on, too.”

“Well, okay. I think Press Terminal oughtta be on right now.”

I pick up the remote and navigate through the channels.

I return to where I was sitting before facing the TV.

The top news story is the collapse in Shinjuku, but they dwell on that for surprisingly short amount of time before moving on to the recent rash of street robberies across Tokyo.

“Man, that sucks. My luck’s been so bad lately, I’m probably going to run into _that_ next.”

I look you from the side.

“Dahh! Aw, Emi, you’re the best!”

“Huh? Wh-what do you mean, Rika?”

I give you a hug from behind.

“Whoa! What’s gotten into _you_?”

“Aw, you’re just so _nice_ , Emi. You’re so _soothing_.”

“Huh?”

For a few moments, I sway back and forth, rocking you.

I let this pass, though I don’t understand why she’s doing it.

“You know, ever since I went off to Tokyo, I’ve always tried to speak in standard Japanese. It was just so annoying otherwise.”

“Annoying?”

“Well, like, if you use standard Japanese, then you don’t have to worry about people asking where you came from, right?”

And you don’t have to worry about pulling of the accent all the time.

Again, exactly.

“If you’re Hyogo prefecture, then all people in Tokyo ever want to talk to you about is The Earthquake.”

“Oh...”

I realize your motivation and turn around in your arms.

“And that’s, like, _all_ , too. Never anything else.”

Those sound less like actual people and more like NPCs in a video game.

“So I stopped talking about my home, since it was just getting annoying. I was still just a kid during the 1995 Earthquake, but I’ll still never forget that day. It was really scary. There were a lot of small workshops and stuff near our house, and we had a lot of damage in our neighborhood.”

You’re giving us a lot backstory on her I see.

That’s what took so long with the character sheet.

“It was practically a miracle everyone in my family was okay. A lot of my friends... There were a lot of kids who lost family members. I was in grade school, but when class started up again, two of my classmates were gone. I tried to kid myself into thinking they moved away.”

“...Wow. I hear you.”

“So it really makes me mad, how insensitive some people are. They’re just like ‘Oh, how was the earthquake?’ It pretty much flattened my granddad’s workshop, and there were aftershocks the whole time we were at the rescue centre. I was scared for days! But the moment I take a step away from where I grew up, people treat it like some long-forgotten event. No matter where I go, no matter how much time has passed, when I mention that my family’s from Kobe, they ask about The Earthquake first. It’s like, can’t they picture anything else about the place? Those sort of people, I really don’t want to be friends with them. That was, like, pretty much everyone I met, so I thought I’d never let myself talk to anybody if I kept dwelling on it. So I changed my accent so I could hide where I came from. Sorry I tricked you like that!”

“Oh, you didn’t trick me...”

“But you’re the first one, Emi. The first who heard the word _Kobe_ and didn’t ask about the quake.”

I separate from you and go to the fridge to get more water.

“Whenever you find that your life’s gone completely upside down like that... There’s just no telling how people will react afterward, you know? Some people out there, they try to take advantage of the chaos to do real bad stuff. Then there are people who really work hard to help out others, even though they have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow. And that makes you think, you know? It’s kind of like those old cartoons where whenever you’re pondering something this little angel and devil appear on your shoulders. It made me think that, like, people really _can_ be angels; they really _can_ be devils. It all depends on what they choose to do.”

“Angel, or devil...?”

I put glasses down in front of me.

“But I’m telling you, today _spooked_ me. I come all the way to Tokyo, only to see an accident like that... and another friend was _there_ , too! I never even wanted to think about it. Emi?”

“...Huh?”

“You okay? Sorry if I’m making you think about kind of weird stuff.”

I chuckle to myself.

“But, hey, we’re all okay now, right? And you’ve really been a huge help to me, Rika. I appreciate it so much.”

“Oh, stop. What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t help each out? No need to feel all weird about it.”

The warm feeling strikes you again.

“So, you know, that’s why I didn’t want to ask about you or anything.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, where you lived, where you cone from... I don’t really care about that, Emi. To me, as long as you’re a friend I can talk a bunch of BS with, and have lunch with, and go out on the town sometimes, that’s all I need.”

“Rika...”

“Oh, and speaking of...”

I bring my face closer to Emi’s, a sneering smile on my face.

“Who was that _guy_?”

“Eh?”

“The guy you were talking to out by the accident site.”

“Huh? Uh... Oh. _That_ guy.”

“You know him? You sure acted like you did. He looked like a pretty decent fellow, so I couldn’t help but wonder...”

“Hey! You just said you wouldn’t ask me anything, Rika! That, and he’s really not anyone like-”

“Romance is different, Emi! I won’t let any of those wolves get near _you_ , my little angel!”

“Oh, stop sounding like some weird, overprotective dad! He’s just an acquaintance of mine...actually, less than that, even. He’s a demon, not a wolf. Total demon. A demon...”

“Emi?”

“An angel... and a demon.”

“What’s up, Emi?”

“The heart... of a human being?”

Did the victims of the collapse have something to do with Satan regaining his magic then?

They were they cause of it, actually.


	31. Chapter 31

“Not you again. This early in the morning? Look, I have work today, so could you let me sleep some more?”

I’m holding a brown paper envelope out to you.

“Don’t worry. There isn’t poison or a razor blade inside or anything.”

“I don’t think I’ve received anything from anything from you I didn’t regret.”

“Oh, well, in that case, I think I’ll just keep this thousand yen -”

I snatch the envelope away.

“Okay, we’re even now.”

“Hey! I thought we promised you’d stop interfering with us for a while.”

“I think me rescuing you from the cops more than makes up for that.”

“Ugh, you stupid little-”

I interject before you finish your evaluation.

“Yesterday!”

“Uh?”

“Was Ashiya...I mean Alciel all right?”

A look of suspicion crosses my face.

“Did you get clocked in the head or something last night?”

“We’re talking about him, not me. He wasn’t hurt or anything?”

“No, no injuries. Major blow to his ego, though.”

The look of suspicion remains on my face.

“And he didn’t turn back into his demon form or anything, either.”

“Ah...!”

“What? Isn’t that what you were asking about?”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“Well, what if I said he _was_ a demon? Would you bust in here and kill us?”

“I...”

“He could tell I reverted back, too, for a little while. He spent all night crying about ‘Ooooh, I failed to serve my liege at his hour of need,’ et cetera, et cetera, and now he’s sleeping in this morning. What the hell am I going to do for breakfast now?”

I hurried over here to protect the citizens of Earth from the Devil King, and I get this?

“But, hey, were _you_ all right? I saw your forehead. And you used some of your power when you put Chi to sleep, didn’t you?

“...What?”

I freeze on the spot.

“What are you...saying?”

“What do you mean, what am I saying? I’m just asking if you’re okay. Your power isn’t back, right?”

“Are you being...serious?”

“What? Am I not allowed to be concerned about people?”

I feel the blood drain from my face.

“I am not so weak...that my enemy should be _concerned_ for me.”

“Oh?...Yeah, I guess so, huh? Anyway. If that’s all you needed, you mind leaving me alone?”

“With pleasure.”

I hurry towards the stairs, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

“H-hey! Emi! You’re gonna slip if you-”

Roll for the stairs.

9, that should be enough, right?

What shoes are you wearing?

Heels?

It’s not enough.

“- If you go down the stairs in those heels.”

“Ah!”

You reach out towards the handrail in an attempt to catch yourself and jam your finger. As you fall, your butt hits the stairs as you fall. You also scrape you nose landing face first on the ground below.

And my clothes?

Your suit is a mess and your shoes are scuffed. The Devil King escorts you into his abode for first aid.

I look sulky as I open the cabinet that contains our first aid kit.

“My... The Hero Emilia had the Devil King - in a different form, yes, but still the Devil King! - cornered in his lair once, and now she’s been roughed up falling down the stairs of our apartment? A black mark on His Demonic Highness more than anyone, perhaps, but...”

The impact to your forehead also reopened the wound from last night.

“Nothing in here but adhesive tape. We did buy gauze and so forth somewhere else, no?”

“Maybe. We weren’t planning on anything as rough as this. We’ll probably have to go buy some stuff. Hey, Ashiya, you mind going out to the pharmacy by the rail station and buying bandages and gauze? They oughtta be open by now. I don’t want this girl yelling at me even more.”

“Yes, my liege. May I be permitted to borrow Dullahan from you? I have other shopping to take care of as well.”

“Permission granted. Hey, if you got _that_ much money on you, why don’t you cook something better for me?”

“I am afraid, Your Demonic Highness, that your spending habits are such that I have to build my own stash and save my money carefully. I will return soon.”

I snort derisively.

I go get the bike and pedal off.

“You better get that disinfected for now, at least. I have some stuff over here, so let’s get that washed and...”

I sit down in front of Emilia, a wet towel in my hand.

I snatch it from his hand.

“D-don’t touch me! I’m not a child! I can do it myself!”

“Sure, sure, sorry. Tissues are over there.”

The box of tissues you threw at me is still lying where it fell.

I wipe the dirt from my nose and forehead, then use another tissue to apply the disinfectant. I make a face as I am suddenly struck with a crushing wave of sadness.

“What, does it sting?”

“No!”

I throw the bottle of disinfectant full bore at him.

18.

“Whoa! What was that for?”

“Shut up! What is _with_ you, anyway?! You’re the Devil King, you idiot! Why don’t you _act_ like one and start wrecking this world already?!”

That is an _excellent_ question, I really don’t know why he hasn’t started doing that yet.

“Huh? Where’d all _that_ come from?”

“What?! Who the hell ever heard of a dirt-poor, junk-food-eating, rising-star-in-the-workplace, loved-by-teenage-girls Devil King?!”

“Ngh...Well, _I’ve_ never heard of a Hero who started crying after falling down the stairs and had a demon fix her up!”

And I’ve never heard of a fantasy campaign that focuses on service workers living paycheck-to-paycheck, yet here we are.

“And what kind of Devil King sends his minion off to the pharmacy for the Hero’s sake?! And what kind of Great Demon General actually says _yes_ to that?!”

Ergh...

“Why are you so damn _kind_ to me?! Why are you kind to me, to the other people, to the whole world?! How can... How can you be so _nice_ all the time?!”

I’m at a loss for an answer.

“And if you _can_ be so nice...then why... Why...”

I shout through tears.

_“Why did you kill my father?!”_

I sob, out of breath after my shriek.

I stand there, still at a loss for an answer to give her.

“The...the Devil King I pursued was a malicious monster! He treated people like they were nothing more than insects! He loved nothing more than the despair, the blood that ran across the world!”

“I-”

“You turned out fields into gigantic firestorms! You crushed our castles with your lightening! You washed away entire towns with your floods! You allowed you horde of demons to perform any kind of savage brutality they wanted! Devil King Satan! Even when you die, I will _never_ forgive you! You took my home, my father’s fields, my father’s _life_ , my peaceful quiet childhood...! Everything! And I’ll never forgive you!”

“Emi, I-”

“But why... Why are you...being so nice to me...?”

“I...I haven’t really thought that deeply about it.”

I still can’t really form a clear answer to this, but the situation seems to be demanding I talk, so...

“But...well, sorry, I guess.”

I look up at you, mouth open as I stare. Clearly I was not expecting such a response.

“I mean, I didn’t know anything about any Hero at first. I was busy taking over the Central Continent and controlling my demon forces, so I guess I didn’t really pay full attention to what was going on, over on the surrounding islands... Well, I don’t mean to shift blame to Lucifer, either, though.”

Why not? You could easily talk your way out of this by blaming the dead guy. I’d be totally cool with you blaming Malacoda for what happened on the Southern Continent.

“But what could I have done? Demons and humans... Well, we’re _always_ in conflict with each other.”

I’m clearly frustrated with myself. My desire for conquest has not been slacked and I appear to be having trouble reconciling that with the fact that I’m also not resisting the idea of living a comfortable life here.

You’re just addressing this now?!

Better late than never.

“Plus, you know, at the time, I guess I didn’t really understand humans all that well, so...”

I turn my head to the side, filling with shame at the idea that I exploded in front of the Devil King.

That was some A+ roleplaying from both of you. Using this quite frankly bizarre situation to develop both of your characters. Both of you have some experience on me.


	32. Chapter 32

A familiar voice interrupts the scene at the Devil’s Castle.

“Hello, I was-”

We both turn quickly toward the door.

Alciel walks in.

Followed by Chiho. I freeze when I notice the state the two of you are in.

I’m just as lost myself, forgetting to close the door behind me.

I’m holding a bag from a sweets shop.

“Uh, I...I ran into Miss Sasaki there, and she stated wanted to meet with you, and so...”

I stammer out my explanation.

After a moment of standing there in shock, I drop the bag I was holding. I take a nervous step backwards.

She was coming to apologize for last night wasn’t she?

Yep.

And no doubt she is grossly misinterpreting the scene in front of her.

Of course.

“Uh... Ha-ha! M-maybe, uh, this isn’t the best time...”

“Ch-Chiho...”

I rise up in a panic, realizing that Chiho is drastically misinterpreting the scene.

“I guess it’s true...that...Maou and...Yusa... They really are....”

My knees are shaking. My eyes are emotionless, but the smile on my face is taunt and fraying at the edges.

What does that mean?

I’m struggling to keep it in place.

“N-no, Chiho, that’s not it at all! This is...”

“Chi, listen, just calm down for a...”

“I-I’m sorry!”

I spin myself around and gallop out. I’m wearing loafers, just so you know. 15.

You here Chiho’s footsteps clang their way downstairs.

“That was...bad, wasn’t it?”

“P-perhaps we should pursue her and get this straightened out?”

I take look around the area beneath the stairwell.

There is already no sign of Chiho.

I snatch the pharmacy bag from Alciel. I throw it at Emilia.

I catch it instinctively.

“Look, just go home, okay? Nothing good ever happens when you’re near me!”

“Oh, dear, Mr. Maou, that wasn’t very mature. Picking on a woman like that! This isn’t grade-school recess, you know.”

There is now a pillar of gold standing behind Alciel.

“Aaaaaghh!! M-Ms. Shiba!”

Her long, medieval-styled, marigold print dress is shining in the morning light. A gold-painted peacock feather is sticking out of her wide-brimmed hat, which is the same colour as the dress. Her hair is done up in a style reminiscent of French nobility. Her bright yellow handbag has elegant handles which resemble a string of pearls. Her shawl is replete with lime-green lamé strands. She has accented this ensemble with false eyelashes of enormous length.

That was a rather lengthly description of her outfit.

This isn’t the first timer either, that’s why we’re all pretty certain the landlord is no run-of-the-mill NPC.

Just painting the scene so you know what you’re interacting with. The landlord had appeared without a sound.

Until she spoke, anyway.

“This is your girlfriend I assume, Mr Maou? My name is Miki Shiba, and I’m the landlord here at Villa Rosa Sasazuka. It’s good to meet you.”

I squint at the pillar of gold, and nod back as best I can.

“Feel free to call me Mikitty, by the way.”

“Uh, sure...”

“I had come to visit, Mr. Maou, Mr. Ashiya, in order to inform my tenants of certain upcoming matters...but I see you are both rather occupied at the moment?”

She hands a piece of paper over to Ashiya.

“But regardless. We have had quite a spate of earthquakes as of late, no? I’ve felt it necessary to perform seismic reinforcements on this residence, so I came to inform you of some construction work in the future.”

The sheet of paper contains a schedule for reinforcement work, a notice that residents would need to vacate the property for a one-day period, and another notice that this will not affect your monthly rent. Her seal is at the bottom, alongside a glossy, golden kiss mark.

“But, there has certainly been quite a few earthquakes, hmm? Especially _lately_.”

“Y-yeah...”

“In fact, I wonder if we’ll have another one today, even.”

“I...I couldn’t say.”

“And speaking of that, on my way here, I happened across a charming young woman running down the road. Crying the whole way, I may add!”

She smiles.

“I believe she was heading for Sasazuka station as well...”

In that instant the building begins to shake.

“Did it...shake just now?”

Miki Shiba nods her head in agreement.

“Mr. Maou?”

“Uh.”

“If you’ve involved her in this. I would hope a young man would see matters through to the end, hmm?”

“Wh-what do you...”

As you stand there, the shaking grows stronger and stronger.

“Y-Your Demonic Highness! Th-this shaking!”

“Chiho!”

“Did you honestly think that charming young woman receiving an idea link and being subject to that sonar strike was a complete coincidence, then? I would think that you, of all people, would understand the power behind people’s thoughts and wills. Perhaps you had best hurry, before it is too late? See? You can hear it, no?”

A loud rumble courses across the town.


	33. Chapter 33

“Argh, I feel horrible! I think I’m gonna get Gate-sick!”

“Please try not to vomit if you caaaaan...”

“No guarantees, man! Erp...”

“Hang in there, pleeease!”

Hey! We’re here!

“I doubt we’ll have time to relax once we reach the other side.”

“Uh? You catchin’ something over there? Grhh...”

“A man-made magical reaction, picked up by our sonar readings.”

“So Emilia’s in trouble?”

“Possss-ible! We may need to prepare for battle!”

“Right! Let’s hurry! I can take this!”

“Yes, sir! On our waaaaaay!”

“Oooogh! Stop making it shake so much!”

We can come back later of you're busy.

Oh! How long have you been standing there?

I yelled when we came in, apparently you didn’t notice.

Yeeeaaaahhhh.... How much of that did you hear?

Since them not having any time to relax on the other side.

I especially liked the different voices you gave them.

That was Emeralda and Albert wasn’t it? I recognized Emeralda’s vocal tic.

Yeah, it was.

So you’re finally bringing them back, eh? So, we gonna get this thing started or not?

We can, might as well start with Chiho, since she took off running from the rest of the action.

I sprint ahead at full speed, crying. My heart feels like it has been ripped into a million pieces by the events of the morning. As I plunge into the crowd around Sasazuka station, I run into an electrical pole, trip over a parked bicycle...

...And collide head on with a pedestrian.

Okaaay...

“S-sorry!”

I’m too ashamed to bring my head up.

“Oooh, _this_ looks like a good one.”

The voice is coming from a head or so above you. It is ringed with a bitter coldness that is wholly unfamiliar to your ears.

“I had been following you since that last mistake, but I didn’t think you would be caught up in despair for them so easily.”

The pedestrian is a young man, on the small side.

What else do I notice about him?

He has long, flowing, purple hair and he’s wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He also doesn’t look that much older than you are. In other words, he seems normal enough, if a bit overly found of hair dye.

Is that it?

What really stands out about him, though is his eyes. They’re purple as well, with pupils that seem to shine a rainbow of ominous colours that you have never seen before.

“Chiho Sasaki. Allow me to take that hated and despair the Devil King and the Hero have brought to you, and make it a reality!”

A young, fashionably dressed man places a hand on the stranger’s shoulder.

“Hey, get outta that way!”

Suddenly, the t-shirt rips itself apart in the area the hand touched him. The young man is blown away the thing that popped out of the stranger’s shoulder and plows into a line of parked bikes.

And the thing would be?

It’s a wing. There’s a set of large, jet-black wings jutting out from the stranger’s back.

“The hunt has begun. Today, I will surpass the Devil King for good.”

Hang on a second, that description sounds a lot like...

At that moment, an elevated Keio rail line collapsed, the victim of a mysterious explosion.

So you’re dodging my question with an explosion?

We run towards the rail line to investigate what happened.

How do you know anything happened?

The rumbling we heard earlier took place right after the explosion, we figured it had to be caused by something magical and ran off to investigate.

Good explanation.

“Hang in there, Chi!”

I keep on running.

I point ahead.

“Look!”

What do we see?

The rail line has fallen. The elevation bridge has collapsed to the ground, crushing the shopping mall adjacent to Shinjuku station. Beyond the mess, you can see two figures in the air, with the Shuto Expressway spanning the sky above.

“...What in the world?!”

“Them...!”

“Who... are they? How could they have...”

“How do you _think_?!”

I begin to climb the mountain of rubble.

We follow behind.

One the figures is a man flapping his giant wings and carrying something at his side, and the other floating in the air, the hood of his ghostlike robe covering his face. As you surmount the rubble Satan, you feel some of your magic return to you.

You can just go ahead and tell him to come out of wherever you have him hiding.

Whatever could you be talking about?

*sigh*

“Good to see you, Lucifer! Brought a new playmate with you?”

That’s what I was talking about, we both know that I know. So, again, where is he?


	34. Chapter 34

I was in the kitchen.

The whole time?

Just today, idiot, you don’t think you would have noticed otherwise?

Then how’d you keep up with what was going on?

I held separate sessions for his actions when they had nothing to do with the rest you, when they did, he sent me texts regarding what the character was doing.

It was kind of a pain in the ass, to be honest, but I did say I wanted my plotting against you be secret, so I guess I can only blame myself. Anyway, I respond to your declaration with a spate of laughter.

“Well, well! The Devil King Satan! Or should I refer to you as Sadao Maou instead? And how nice to see Alciel safe and sound!”

“Lucifer...? It couldn’t be...”

“N-no... Why are you here _now_...?”

My stern expression remains unchanging as I glare at the floating figures.

You don’t seem very surprised by this development.

That’s because I figured it out already.

He texted me about it. And managed to convince me Satan would have figured it out.

And so I got to use the knowledge in character.

“How long had it been, Emilia the Hero...that is, Emi Yusa!”

“No... No way...”

I sneer. You notice that the figure I am carrying beside me is an unconscious Chiho.

“Oh, yes! Your sword may have pierced through my body, and yet I am here now, before you!”

Yeah...care to explain that? The last any of us saw you, your king had left you lying in a field, bleeding out.

“All thanks to your new friend, isn’t it?”

I nod toward the hooded figure.

“When I retreated and sent a squadron over to the Western Continent to investigate, I still had no faith that you were dead. I never imagined in a thousand years the humans could a Great Demon General, so the investigation was likely less thorough than it should have been...”

You _think_?! There was basically only one way to fail that check, and yet somehow you goddamn managed it.

Still not over that, huh?

_No_.

“And thanks to that, I survived.”

“Yeah. You weren’t a pure demon. Not like Alciel, Malacoda, and Adramelech.”

All that does is explain the lack of a damage bonus when I stabbed him, not how he was apparently able to survive massive blood loss.

“But with your heaven-born blood, I figured that capturing the Western Continent would have been a cinch, even if it _was_ a Church stronghold. Too bad I was wrong.”

Are we not going to address that?

“Too bad indeed! I devoted my all to eradicating the humans on the island, to fulfill the mission granted to me. But...”

I glare at the Hero.

“But the Hero’s armies overwhelmed me. That much, you already know.”

Anyone?

It’s best we name the robed figure first.

“Would your friend mind telling me the rest?”

“Well?”

I turn to the robed figure next to me.

He laughs and seems to give his partner a nod.

“Certainly, I am-”

“-Olba Meiyer, one of the six archbishops of the Church?”

He likely actually succeeded where I failed, and found Lucifer before he died, then healed him up because he wanted his help with something.

Damn, the GM said you’d figured things out, but I never guessed that thoroughly.

But why did you decide that was something Olba would do? Being one of my companions and all?

I mentioned it opened up a butt-ton of new story possibilities.

And I’m a sucker for that.

Than why did you have such a problem with us fleeing to another world?

Because there’s a difference between creating new story possibilities and taking the story off to plough through left field. But I’d like to think I’ve made it work.

Okay, that actually makes sense, thank you for finally explaining. But Emilia’s mind is in utter disarray at this revelation.

“Olba? That’s a lie! Olba is my -”

“-your companion, who sent you to this world, then tried to eradicate both you and me. Right?”

That’s why the GM didn’t have him come with you, he was plotting against you.

“...You knew of that?”

He’s a tad crestfallen that you stole the thunder from his big revelation. As am I, really.

Hey, take it as a complement to your skill as a GM. You were able to provide enough subtle clues to the plot that I was able to figure it out.

If you don’t mind me asking, what does Olba look like, anyway?

He’s a calm benign-looking man, aged fifty or so. His tonsured head shining in the morning sun. His pure white bishop’s robe, embroidered with silver thread is flapping in the strong wind blowing between the nearby buildings.

Thanks for that, the images in my head were all far more blatantly evil.

“Us demons, we practically invented evil, you know. I can always tell what a villain is thinking, start to finish.”

Well, I’ll grant you knew what the campaign’s villains were thinking...

“You’re the guy who was behind Emi when she entered the Gate, right? Once I heard that, I pretty much guessed the rest. No one else had the chance to take a shot at me and Emi.”

“No...No! Olba, why are you with Lucifer? You didn’t-”

“Everything began after Lucifer lost to you, Emilia.”

The archbishop cracks a thin smile, his voice rising to crescendo as he prepares the epic tale he is about to spin.

“After you destroyed the demon forces, you didn’t want the Hero lording it over you, so you tossed her into another world and consulted with Lucifer while she was still powerless to do anything about it. Then you secretly wiped out the rest of the Hero’s crew in order to protect the vested interests of the Church. The end. Any corrections I need to make?”

Okay, now you’re just showing off. Olba’s mouth opens and closes, indicating that you have the right of it.

I laugh a hideously mocking laugh.

“That scenario’s been done a thousand times before, baldy! You think this girl was gonna try becoming goddess of the universe or something? Even a low-budget B movie would come up with a better script than that.”

Ouch, what happened to complementing my skill as a GM.

I can not be held accountable for the things I say in character. I nudge Emilia as I speak.

The nudge is all it takes to break me out of my state of shock.

“Hey, stop that!”

“...Baldy? B movie?”

The archbishop seems shocked for different reasons.

“Um... Your Demonic Highness? I would hardly call him naturally bald.”

Why are _you_ defending him?

“See, this is why I hate heaven. You people all say one thing and think the exact opposite. It’d be much more humane for everyone if we demons ruled the roost instead. I can probably guess how you got Lucifer on your side, too. Did you bait him with the chance to return to heaven?”

Have you ever considered GMing yourself? You seem to have a really good handle on connecting plot details.

“H-how did you-”

“Don’t ‘How did you’ me. Could you at least _try_ to be a little original? I guess you were just B-movie caliber, too, Lucifer. Seeing you fall for this idiot makes me want to cry.”

Why?! Unlike _you_ he’s actually playing to his alignment properly. A Neutral Evil character such as him would totally be okay with murdering his former companions if it meant getting something he wanted.

“Y-you accursed devil!!”

Olba’s voice cracks as he flies into a rage.

“If your gonna float up there, baldy, and start crying just ‘cause I’m telling the truth, you _really_ should have come up with a better script!”

The sheer abusiveness of all this has left Olba open-mouthed.

Same for Lucifer.

Count Emilia in as well.

“And now you’re gonna be all like ‘Oh, _nooooo_ , you have angered Lucifer! And you will not be able to flee like last time! Die where you stand alongside the Hero!’ That is so lame, man! Even the villain from some kids sentai show would come up with better lines than that!”

What the hell, dude, my role-playing isn’t that bad!

Yeah, he does that, and insists it only reflects the opinions of the character.

Because it does.

“What is a ‘sentai show’?! What are you going _on_ about, you stupid idiot?! Plus they kind of took Chiho hostage remember?!”

Nice to see that _someone_ actually cares what happens to my character.

I slap the Devil King upside the head.

“You could at least know your place right now! They were both about to confess to their evil deeds! Stop heckling them already!”

“Your Demonic Highness! When on earth did you have the chance to watch any movies?! Such a waste of money...”

And I’m back to being ignored.

Tears of frustration come to my eyes.

“Man, that _hurt_ , you bastard! If I let them go first, probably would have fainted from the shock, all right?! So I made a little effort to cushion the bad news for you instead! That, and come on, what’s a movie now and then hurt?! _I’m_ the one bringing home the bacon.”

“I don’t need you fawning all over me like that!”

“ _I’ve_ wanted to stop playing househusband all day and enjoy a little entertainment too, you! But I held myself back!”

...Has this happened a lot recently?

Hang on, I’ll bring them back.

“Stop this! All of you!”

Why are you yelling?

I needed to stop the argument somehow. Both in and out of universe.

“I deigned to listen to you, and my reward is all this nonsensical blubbering? You will pay for this, Devil King Satan!!”

“That is so amateur hour, man. Couldn’t be more unoriginal if you tried.”

“Grrrnnnnnhhhhh...”

The archbishop’s face has reddened to the point you could fry an egg on it.

“Hey, mind if I ask you a question, Archbishop Cueball? How many people did you attack in order to prop Lucifer’s magic levels up?”

“....!”

“Huh?!”

“Whaa?!”

“...You are perceptive indeed, Your Demonic Highness!”


	35. Chapter 35

“Lemme ask you, Emi... Where do all the gods and devils live in this land? In Japan?”

“What? I don’t know...”

“They’re inside the hearts of the people. Tell me you at least _thought_ about that by now.”

You’re just revealing all my secrets today, aren’t you?

“The hearts of...the people?”

“Yeah. The people of this nation aren’t ruled by their gods. They roll over to the evil side, or the holy side, with a snap of the fingers. Look at the divinity, and the evilness, you see in a person whenever they’re forced into extreme circumstances. That’s our source of power! The way we can gain power in this world!”

“It...is? Then...”

I nod at you, and turn my gaze to the two figures floating above me.

“Seeing a demon in all his glory like that would make most people wet their pants. They’d be too scared to do anything. These are probably the guys behind that string of robberies.”

Did you give him notes or something? How in the hell is he getting all this?

He put it together all by himself, I showed him nothing.

“ _That_ was why I reverted back to my old form a little bit yesterday. People were despairing their impending death all around me, and that forced its way into my body.”

Was the warm feeling you kept describing when I was with Rika me getting some of my power back in a similar way?

Yes, which is why I was so poetic about it.

“They sucked in all the negative energy, all fear and sadness. All that power that drove the first magic sniper attack, and yesterday’s earthquake... How did they get all of that, hmm?”

“So if you want to gain enough magical force to return to Ente Isla...”

“You have a cause a huge disaster! Sucking the power out of one or two people isn’t gonna cut it.”

“No...”

“I kind of like this world, you know? It’s been a real fresh experience for me, being human. It’s been a good world to me, and I don’t want to screw it up like that. I want to take a different approach. So...”

Are you or are you not _EVIL_?! Because I’m looking at your character sheet right now and it definitely says _evil_.

I look up at the figures above me with a grin on my face.

“What next? Wanna do it here?”

“B-but, Devil King! Don’t you care about this girl at all? We’re fully aware of your relationship! We know you’ve been intimate!”

Yeah, don’t any of you care about me at all?

I have to laugh about how villainous the bishop is acting.

“Hey. Emilia the Hero. I really hate bishops, but I’ll tell you what I hate more, and that’s traitors.”

My gaze shoots between the Devil King and Olba before settling on the archbishop.

“Yeah... I hate demons and traitors, too.”

“You sure about this? You’ve been saving that power for while. If we fight here, you might never be able to get back.”

“Good things come to those who work earnestly.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

I flash a bitter smile.

I smile as well as I gesture upward.

“C’mon, let’s do this! I’ll pulverize both of you! And I’m gettin’ Chi back, too!”

“B-but, Your Demonic Highness! We need to fully gauge our opponents. Unless we thoroughly understand why they chose this moment to suddenly unfurl this trap for us, it’ll be too dangerous to move things forward recklessly...”

“Sound advice, Alciel. Let me show you.”

17.

Roll see if Alciel pulls off a miraculous dodge.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. 15.

Not enough. There is a whoosh, followed by a short, cut-off groan.

I turn around.

So do I.

Alciel is on the ground, blood spurting out of wound in his left breast, as if he had been shot.

“A-Ashiya!”

“My! Look at the force she belted out for his roommate Alciel as well! You must have plunged this girl into the depths of despair for me!”

Seeing Alciel bleeding on the ground is causing panic to spread across the area, the crowds fleeing from the apparent gunfire.

I don’t pay a moment's notice to them.

“Your immaturity will be your downfall. Imagine, such a small thing causing such vast, ballooning clouds of despair and sadness!”

“You...you’re going into Chi’s heart...”

Well that explains the monologuing about turning my despair into a reality or whatever.

“Negative feelings are so easy to control when they’re directed toward a unique target. I’ve grown able to fire bolts of magical power that will have a more punishing effect on the both of you, and only the both of you, than ever before. Watch!”

Countless streaks of light coursed to the ground. Their sheer number and speed are too much for human legs to ignore.

“Dammit...”

Clicking my tongue in frustration, I raise my arms then bring them apart from each other.

The streaks of light follow your hands’ direction, redirecting themselves towards a nearby building. When they connect every window in the buildings shatter and the people inside come running out.

“Devil King! Alciel’s...!”

I pick up the head of the completely immobile Alciel.

The blood flow out of his chest is showing no sign of stopping, and his skin is rapidly turning the shade of a sheet of paper.

I bring my hands to his neck and wrist, checking for his pulse.

You find only a weak, rapid pulse.

“...Careless!”

“That’s the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?”

“Ngh!”

Have you made a habit of ignoring your generals when they’re bleeding?

I’m being shot at! _You’re_ the one shooting at me!

I launch a second volley at you.

I move to redirect them again.

You don’t have enough magic. You only got a small amount of magical power from the nearby fear as you crossed the bridge rubble as you weren’t actively trying to absorb. Redirecting the one round of Lucfier’s magical bullets wade you run out of gas already.

“Crap!”

“Whaaa?!”

I instinctively cover my head, but I can’t launch an antimagic defensive wall while also covering for Alciel, since his king doesn’t seem to be bothering.

What did you think I was trying to do redirecting those bullets?

Save your own skin?

Well, that too, but...

The blasts you failed to divert thud against the concrete. The shock wave from the magical blast coursed across electric lines, poles, and buildings, transforming the Sasazuka neighborhood into a battlefield.

“Ha-ha-ha! I had no idea my first taste of destruction after my defeat at Emilia the Hero’s hands would feel so wonderful!”

My howling laughter echoes across the area.

Were you not involved in the station collapse?

_Someone_ interrupted my fun.

Well _sorry_ for not wanting to die and inconveniencing you in the process.

“Don’t get distracted, Lucifer! Our mission is to destroy Emilia and the Devil King!”

I sneer to my side at Olba.

“You dare to butt in on _my_ business?”

He flinches for a moment at the impact of Lucfier’s threat, but he continues even as sweat is beading on his brow.

“Y-you haven’t forgotten that I am the one who controls the Gate which shall serve as your bridge to heaven?”

“...Damn you.”

I roll my eyes in frustration, then turn them to Chiho.

“You have nothing to worry about. As long as I have this girl, the Devil King and Emilia the Hero will never flee from us.”

We flee while under the cover of the dust.

How does Alciel flee, he’s too bled out to stand.

I carry him on my back.

Oh come _on_ , people.

Hey, talking isn’t free action in the this campaign remember. I can take action while you speak if I so choose.

Why did we decide on that rule again?

To prevent all you evil characters from halting the action to monologue at every opportunity.

You must have come up with that rule right when you first started then, eh?

Yep.

“Lucifer!”

“Calm yourself. They can store up as much power as they want, but they will never have enough to resist us. After them!”

We glide across the Sasazuka sky following your trail.

How?

Alciel’s bleeding, obviously he’s leaving a pretty clear trail.


	36. Chapter 36

We run down an alley to get cover from our airborne pursuers.

“What? That was all a bluff?!”

“Well, what do you _want_ from me? I used pretty much all of my magical force, too.”

5\. Shit.

What?

A potted plant in the garden your facing suddenly shatters with an enormous cracking sound.

“Did they shoot that?!”

“What do _you_ think?!”

I dive behind an electrical pole.

I hide in the eaves of a private residence.

“Come on! Where’s all the bravado from before?!”

7? Dammit.

An enormous ball of magic crashes into the home the Devil King is hiding near. He and his general are easily blown aside by the blast, so quickly that you are not even able to attempt a clean landing.

“H-how could this be...?”

“Let’s go!”

I try my hardest to flee, picking up Ashiya again.

“Oh no you don’t!”

I make a gun with my hand, aiming it straight for Maou’s back. 10.

That one might actually hit him.

“Look out!”

Roll to see if her shout allows you to dodge.

5.

Guess not. The shot strikes you at the edge of your shoulder, sending you to the ground along with your general.

How much damage do I take?

The same amount any normal human would after having been shot in the shoulder. So, like, 5.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, owwwww.”

I hiss in pain.

“This body’s so damn fragile! I always knew it was, but _ugghhh_ , it totally is! Dammit! I don’t want to die!”

“What are you wailing about? You call yourself Satan, the Devil King?!”

Hey!

We’re all thinking it, I’m just saying it. Anyway, I jump out of my hiding place and put the two stricken demons behind be as I glare at Lucifer.

“...Hmmm? Emilia? Are you trying to protect the lord of all demons?”

I laugh a chiding laugh at you.

I ignore the bait.

Well that’s no fun.

“This isn’t what you’re fully capable of, is it, Lucifer?”

“...So?”

The GM nerfed all of us, what’s your point?

Again, that wasn’t _my_ decision, it was random chance that landed in you all in Japan. Which is a very non-magical place.

“Those finger blasts, and these balls of magic... This isn’t the Lucifer _I_ remember fighting.”

Ah, stalling for time is it?

“...It is more than enough to bury the three of you now.”

“Any demon who acts like he has it in the bag always loses, in the end.”

“Yeah! That’s the biggest lame trope in the-”

I give you a swift kick.

“ _-arrghh_!”

What was that for?!

“So, basically, you’re the same as I am. Neither of us can unleash their true force right now. And...”

I look pointedly at the bishop following behind Lucifer.

“... _you_ can’t afford to waste energy, either, am I right? You _are_ still a bishop, after all. Unlike Lucifer, you can’t just do something evil to restore your powers. You _wish_ you had it so easy.”

Olba refuses to respond.

“But even I lose my patience sooner or later. Emilia the Hero didn’t build that name getting beaten up over and over.”

I grab your foot to get your attention.

“Wait! Don’t do it now-”

I kick you again.

“ _-ooof_ ”

“You _touched_ my foot, you perv!!”

“Is grabbing your foot because I wanted you to notice my bloodied husk on the street a crime punishable by a boot to the stomach?”

I stagger to my feet, plainly not well, still trying to carry Alciel on my back.

“...If you die, I’m leaving you here.”

“Don’t worry about that. If I let one of my own minions kill me, it’d be an embarrassment to my entire bloodline.”

With that I grab your hand, pull at it, and begin staggering away.

“Wh-whoa! What’re you doing?!”

“What are you trying to do now? You cannot escape me.”

With an easy smile on my face I shot at Maou again. 15.

Roll for a miracle.

Thanks. 9.

You fall as the blast tares through your leg. You hear screams around you as you vault into an open intersection.

“Oww...”

“What are you _doing_?! Are you trying to die?!”

Did you get bored with your character and decide to get rid of him?!

No.

“Heh-heh... Does it look like I’m about to...?”

I try to support your collapsed form.

“Heh-heh..."

“Stop laughing! Ugh, you make me sick! This isn’t a joke! If anyone’s killing the Devil King, it’s _me_! Why do I have to sit here and get killed right next to you?!”

We demons are sprawled out on the street, neither moving a muscle.

I aim another finger blast at them.

Which one, specifically.

Emilia. And I role...a 4. Fuck, really?!

Everyone roll for dodge.

Even me?

Okay maybe not you, you’re pretty incapable of movement right now.

10.

12\. But I’m pretty sure the bullet holes and blood loss are providing a pretty substantial penalty.

Oh heck yes, Lucifer’s finger blast scrapes past Emilia’s nose before smashing through the Devil King’s shoulder.

So I missed who I was aiming for but hit someone else, who is also on my hit list. Works for me.

“Pathetic! _This_ is the Devil King that stood tall above me? That had Ente Isla in the palm of his hand?!”

Sometimes I wonder.

Hey! What is up with all of you today?

“...Hurry up! We can kill the both of them at once! I have to retain my powers for the Gate!”

Once Olba finishes speaking, he reaches into his robe and pulls out...a gun.

My eye’s open wide at the sight.

Yo, GM.

Yeah?

I have an idea to get out of this. Can I text it to you?

Why do you need me to see it?

It involves setting details.

Alright, send it over.... Well, that’s...insane, quite frankly. Go ahead and try it if you want, but I will be timing it. Olba points the barrel of his gun towards the fallen pair. You hear several sirens approaching from afar. Emergency services appears to be responding to the scene at the expressway.

“...Good. Good. Now they’re probably gonna... Emi, hold on.”

I take your hand.

I aim another magic blast at all of you.

And Olba prepares to take a shot with his gun.

A soft, white light envelops all of us and we teleport away.

“...He had enough power left to teleport them all?”

Just barely, but yes.

“Lucifer!”

“...He waited for just this situation. He couldn’t have enough power left to go far. It’ll be easy to track him.”


	37. Chapter 37

I teleport us back to the location where we first encountered Lucifer.

“...Gah! You scared me!”

There are now more onlookers than there were when you left.

“But...but what’re you trying to do, taking us here?”

We really don’t have anywhere else to go.

“...Hey! Don’t die on me! You okay?”

I’m breathing, but my face is completely white, due to the bleeding.

Alciel has gone beyond white and is entering the realm of light blue. If he doesn’t get help soon he is going to die.

“You didn’t come here for the ambulances, did you?”

Well that would help with me not _dying_.

“You...kidding me...?”

Really?! Then why are we here?

“Well, what, then?! If you just stay here, you’re both gonna die!”

“I...know.”

I use Emilia to pull myself into a sitting position.

“Just a little...more, I think.”

“Oh, you still have some kind of trick up your sleeve, now?”

Olba and I are once more floating above the expressway.

“Lucifer! We’re only attracting more witnesses with these delays!”

“Ah, you’re always so flinchy, Olba. If there are too many, I can always cull then down a bit.”

The fear you cause in the crowd with these words causes your magical power to skyrocket.

I myself shudder at these words.

“Wh-what’re you gonna do?!”

“Who can say? A terror bombing? Destroying the Shuto Expressway? Countless victims? I think it a good fit for this nation.”

I flash an evil grin.

“But I don’t need the Devil King returning to life...the way he did underneath Shinjuku.”

20! Hell, yes!

Should I even bother rolling for dodge?

No, even if you roll a 20, the blood loss and bullet holes are providing too many penalties. A light zooms past the Hero.

“Ngh! Ah...”

“Satan!!”

Lucifer’s blast of light has shot through Satan’s chest. A black hole has opened up in his chest and the light has flickered out of his pupils. He no longer has the strength to hold up Alciel, who collapses to the ground.

“No! You’re the Devil King! Stay here for me!”

My character’s entire motivation is killing you, for Pete’s sake!

I’m leaning heavily on you.

I slap your cheeks several times.

I don’t respond.

“No! You’re kidding me! Come _on_ , Satan!”

I lay him down in an attempt to perform CPR.

Lucifer rolled a 20.

So?

It was a perfect shot. He has no heart left to restart.

I watch the pair, a satisfied smile on my face.

“My work is done. You can have the girl back.”

I fling Chiho away from me.

“Chiho!”

I raise my face and lunge toward her landing point.

Roll.

Why?

Chiho’s going to land on you. You’re human so it’s going to do damage. You’re rolling to see where she lands.

Fine, 13.

Your leg, which was poised beneath the falling Chiho, is now twisted in several unlikely directions.

“Ngh...”

A sadistic smile unfolds over my face.

“It’s time to complete my contract with you, Olba. I hope you will hold your end of the bargain.”

I open my arms wide, and begin gathering large amounts of magical power.

“Wh-what’re...?!”

I look at at Lucifer.

I don’t look back, instead focusing my gaze on the Shuto Expressway.

“Lucifer! Lucifer, stop!”

“...Such a beautiful voice. Go ahead. Sing a beautiful chorus for me, alongside the roar of destruction and the screams of despair, until end finally arrives!”

I unleash my balls of magic towards an expressway bridge support.

“Farewell, Emilia the Hero! You will follow in the path of Alciel and the Devil King!”

A pair of explosions completely vaporizes the supports. Every man and woman in the area looks toward the sky. The black concrete roadway above them rumbles it’s way downward. The road panels begin to come apart, plunging cars downward towards the chaos.

I hug Chiho’s head tightly as the expressway falls.

The crowd begins to scream as their faces and bodies are covered in darkness.

“Total B movie. Just like...I thought.”

Well, that insane plan of your's actually worked.


	38. Chapter 38

Emilia, you open your eyes, having somehow avoided death.

I try and move my body.

Chiho is still draped on top of you.

I try and get up.

Your leg is broken, so the attempt just causes you extreme pain.

“Ngh...ergh...”

I slowly extract my body from underneath hers, taking care not to jostle my leg too much. I place Chiho on the ground.

“Chiho! Chiho!"

I slap her cheek in hopes she wakes up.

She wakes very easily. She was less knocked unconscious and more put to sleep by Lucifer’s force.

“...Ah. Yusa... Nnh...!"

I grimace, apparently in pain.

“Those wings... That scary guy...”

I look upward, trying to locate said winged scary guy.

I have a name, you know.

The sky above you is cut off by a vast, uniformly black presence.

“Heh-heh-heh...”

I look for the source of the laugh.

You see a being darker than the most profound darkness. The horn you smashed through once ago is still missing, but there is no mistaking the sheer magical force of the figure looming above you.

“You have my gratitude, Lucifer... Thanks to your hard work, I have finally regained this form.”

Because _that_ was completely my intention.

He appears to be what is holding the expressway.

“Satan... The Devil King...”

I’m struck with an indescribable wave of despair.

“Wh-why?”

I stand there panic stricken.

Aren’t you flying?

I landed. More to the point...What. The. Actual. Fuck. I just struck him dead. Devil King or no, a _corpse_ can’t draw in magical force no matter how much negative emotion is floating around.

“Emilia the Hero...”

The timbre of your voice is enough to make the uninjured onlookers quiver in fear.

Why?....Wait, right, demon.

...Did the fact that as the Devil King, you’re a _demon_ , really just slip your mind?

I’ve been running around as a human for a while, okay? I just forgot the demon’s speech tends to have on humans, that’s it.

“Ah...ah...”

For me, the same as the rest of the humans present, the sight of the Devil King is pure fear, and I begin to shake.

Olba, for his part, is scared stiff at the sight, but still somehow manages to remain in the air.

I cannot respond to the Devil King as the image of him unleashing his newly regained powers on this world flashes across my mind, plunging me into the pit of despair.

“...Jeez, Emi, you don’t have to _ignore_ me!”

“Uh. Huh?”

What did you just say?

My shaking stops cold.

“Um...me?”

“Who the hell do you _think_ I mean?! Snap out of it! You gotta do something about _him_!”

I’m using one hand to hold up the expressway. With the other, I point at Lucifer.

“Uh...guh?”

I’m flabbergasted, and having difficulty forming a coherent word.

“Hurry _up_! This is _heavy_ , man!”

The remains of the expressway held up by my force, begin to drift ever so slowly downwards.

“I’m out of practice with this magic... Like, seriously, this really sucks.”

I silently gape at you.

So do I.

Even Olba joins in, gaping at the Devil King whining like a sullen teen.

Hey.

That is what it sounds like.

“Is...that _you_ , Maou?”

“How do you get... _out of practice_ with magic?”

“I just...am, okay? Please...hurry...”

The GM?

Yes. I begin to crouch down heavily, as if I am bearing a great weight with both arms. My magic is not only keeping up the panels comprising the expressway, but the cars and people caught up in the collapse as well.

“Ngh... Oof!”

I reposition myself, standing squarely on the ground to spread the weight evenly.

“This is _so_ stupid.”

I smile as I chide him.

“You have to be the dumbest Devil King in the universe.”

No one’s letting up today are they.

“I thought you were dead! Why are you standing there?”

“How should I know?”

The GM mentioned you had a plan, I assumed it involved _not dying_!

That was _in character_. Of course _I_ know what happened.

“They said on TV that you don’t die right when your heart stops. Like, your brain’s supposedly still alive for a few minutes after, you know?”

I smirk at you as I speak.

“So... that’s what you did? Because we were in so much trouble?”

That would explain the GM needing to time it. If you couldn’t get enough magic in time you would have died. Which also explains the repeated use of insane.

“Pretty much. I mean, if Lucifer started just fighting you normally, you would’ve been dead in two seconds. But the weird thing about bad guys... We’re lazy, so we try to finish people off with one shot. That’s what I was betting on. Kinda cut it close there, though, huh? Good thing they were working off a B-movie script.”

That was still incredibly reckless don’t you think? Also, it’s nice to know you a least know what being evil entails, you just for some reason refuse to act the part.

“But quit derailing. Can you help me out? This stuff’s heavy! Like, seriously, I’m begging you here!”

What?!

“Not gonna happen. I’m the Hero! Heroes don’t lend a hand to the Devil King!”

I stand up, gingerly handling my injured leg.

Uh, did I miss something? You, the Devil King, want to team up with the Hero in order to save the people of this world.

Since you’ve been absent, he seems to have forgotten how to be evil.

“So stay where you are for just a few more moments.”

I bring my right hand up to my forehead.

“That’s all I need to finally end this!”

“Y-Yusa...?”

A little reminder that I’m still sitting here, taking all this in.

I smile at you.

“Just sit back and watch, okay?”

I raise my hand above Chiho’s head, instantly surrounding her in an antimagic barrier.

“Yusa! What’s going on?”

I flash you an even brighter smile.

“I don’t know, Chiho...I think I just want you to know.”

I grant you that keeping the majority of the campaign’s actions a secret from a PC...

Two PCs.

...Two PCs, would be a lot of work. So I guess this makes sense at least from a meta perspective.

With that, I bring my hand downwards.


	39. Chapter 39

My hair begins to emit a pure, healing light as it flows in the wind. A blinding shine, like a bolt of pure sunlight, is imbuing itself within my right palm.

“O great power, I summon thee, to smite the forces of evil!”

“Wh... Whoa...!”

I edge backward.

I take it that transformation isn’t a free action either.

Heck, no.

Then why don’t you take the opportunity to attack her?

Some idiot already tried that once.

It wasn’t any of us, before you ask. It was a demon soldier NPC. I think the GM was just demonstrating why none of us should bother trying.

What happened to him?

The concentrated holy force vaporized him instantly. Admittedly, all their characters are so much more powerful that they probably wouldn’t be, but no one’s wanted to try it.

A gale begins to blow around me.

“Holy...magic...”

“I am the Hero. Worlds may change, but the truth will never waver!”

A pillar of sunlight shoots from the ground. My hair now shines like silvery strands of silk, and my now scarlet eyes are fiery enough to crush any evil they perceive. A flash of light runs across my right hand, forming the shape of a sword. I have succeeded in calling forth the Better Half, an evolving blade with powers charged by the holy force of its owner. The golden light of the Cloth of the Dispeller now serves to protect my body. The holy force now filling my body heals all my wounds.

The Better Half manifests as a thin-bladed sword. The Cloth of the Dispeller was manifested over you business attire, and only covers your forehead, chest and legs.

“Hmm... I can’t manifest my sword past the first level. This might get a bit hairy. Well, so be it. They’re on just as unfamiliar ground as I am. No point worrying about my appearance right now.”

I draw my sword.

“Lucifer, the Great Demon General! Olba, the fallen archbishop! I hereby condemn you for the sins you have committed against this world!”

“Oooh, nice one!”

I marvel appreciatively at the celestial figure she cuts.

“Shut _up_! You’re up next once I beat these guys, so hurry up and say your prayers!”

“Yeah, yeah. Try to be quick, could you?... Oh, but before that.”

I raise my right hand once more.

“Take a nap for me, people!”

With that I snap my fingers and the onlookers freeze, covered in dull green light. Also, silence is now reigning, as if I have stopped time across the area.

That was a spell? Congratulations, that has to be the single most unmystical incantation I’ve ever heard.

“Hey! What’d you just do?!”

I shake my head and lower my hand.

“Magic barrier. I don’t want people seeing _too_ much of this, and besides, I don’t want to get too many more of them involved in the fight. That, and the media, too; forget those guys. So I shut away the local area. So try not to let _those_ guys escape the barrier, all right? ‘Cause if they do, that’s gonna be a pain for both of us... Oof!”

I smirk at the plainly encumbered demon master, before readying my sword and facing Lucifer.

“So! It seems I had best leave nothing on the table myself, then!”

Are either of you even _thinking_ about returning home?

I’m beginning to wonder.

“...Hah!”

I fly high into the air, then I unleash a barrage of magic bolts from my wings, aimed at the Hero. 11.

I move to brush away the barrage. 6.

The bolts of magic change trajectory. They are now aimed for the Devil King’s back.

I don’t move, my effort focused on keeping the expressway up.

Every one of the magic bolts strikes you in the back.

“Owwwwwwww! What the _hell_ , man?!”

“Sorry! Just an accident!”

I stamp my foot into the ground, propelling myself towards Lucifer.

12 for dodge.

You only barely dodge the divine streak of light.

I flap my wings and begin to dart quickly across the air.

“Think you can catch me?!”

I strike at you from close range, unleashing a barrage of dark blades from my fist.

I don’t attempt a dodge, instead balling myself up in the air so my Cloth of the Dispeller takes the hit.

Both your dark blades and your fist bounce harmlessly off the bright light.

“Nice try. But not good enough.”

I snort.

“Hah! Talk all you want! Your defence is far from impervious. And you failed to dodge my attack at all! In your state, your blade would never reach me! Your agility in the air was never a match for mine, even in times past. I can still gain magic force in this world! Time is on my side!”

You do have a point, unfortunately, I’ll peter out if this comes down to a marathon struggle.

“Sorry, but I will _not_ allow that to happen.”

A large mass of rock flies downward, looming between Lucifer and Emilia.

“You!”

“ _Him_?”

My gigantic body, with it’s gnarled, locustlike tail tipped with a forked, clawlike spike, has appeared in the sky near you.

“Far be it from to fight in tandem with the Hero...but I have sworn my loyalty to Satan, the Devil King!”

Without complaining about the fact that it goes against your ‘evil’ alignment?

I’ve given up, clearly you're just going to do whatever you want, and unfortunately for me, I also wrote ‘lawful’ on my character sheet.

“And thus, my current foe...is you, Lucifer!”

“Oh, yeah. Guess you weren’t around, huh? But how’d you come back to life from _that_?”

“I was near death, Your Demonic Highness, and you granted me enough magic force to revive myself. No more, and no less.”

“Huh. Neat.”

Nice to see you _totally_ planned to save me.

“But what’ve you been doing since then? You weren’t _here_.”

“I had...ripped through my pants, so I went back to the apartment to fetch my general’s clock from the closet.”

Really? So demon’s garb isn’t just for flash and intimidation?

You didn’t know that?

When you’re a human going face-to-face with a demon, whether said horrid monster is flashing his junk or not is never going to be the first priority.

“...Well, great. Don’t expect me to get all friendly with you, though.”

“Nor will I, Hero. Once this battle is over, we will be enemies once more.”

“Perfect”

Olba begins to move to do something.

I look Lucifer straight in the eye and slash my hand to the side, emitting a beam of light melting away the gun in Olba’s hand as the archbishop attempted to shoot Alciel in the back.

I don’t so much as toss a glance behind me.

“Do not expect my thanks for that. That bullet would hardly even faze me.”

“Oh? Lofty words, there. That wasn’t exactly the case a few minutes ago, if I recall.”

“...You worthless fool!”

I begin to shower Olba with abuse.

“You almost brought the Devil King to his knees! You could at least fight like you mean it!”

“But...but we’ll be unable to return.”

“Perhaps not! But we _certainly_ won’t if we lose here!”

“...Damn you all...”

Olba recollects himself, the holy power within him palpably welling up.

“Jeez, Alciel. Thanks for running off like that.”

Meanwhile, I’m muttering to myself.

“Ugh...I’ve got nothing to do. And I probably look terrible.”

Uniclo’s latest line of sweat-wicking t-shirts and sweat pants are proving surprisingly resilient, managing to cover the important bits without tearing, even after you ballooned in size. So no need to worry about indecent exposure charges.


	40. Chapter 40

“This...this isn’t a movie, is it?”

I watch on, a stunned look on my face.

I use my force to throw countless enormous pieces of rubble into the air. Is if on cue, they hurl towards Lucifer and Olba.

I climb aboard one of them, thrusting myself towards my foes.

Though it pains me to the bottom of my dark soul, I take control of the rock Emilia is clinging to.

“Heavenly Flame Slash!”

My sword falls, launching a horde of flaming blades towards Lucifer. 8.

Suck, my dodge roll’s 2!

The attack connects with Lucifer’s shoulder, causing him to stagger back, but the wound is not serious.

“Emilia, have you lost you mind?! Teaming with the forces of evil... The Church will never forgive this!”

Olba shouts as he dodges the debris Alciel threw at him.

“Silence, betrayer!”

“Don’t give her that crap, baldy.”

“That’s hardly anything _you_ have the right to say.”

“... _You’re_ one to talk.”

Olba is stunned for a moment, not having expected the universally scathing response. This is long enough for one of the smaller pieces of rubble to strike. Olba shakes his head and grunts.

“...Yes. So I let my guard down for a moment.”

Olba appears to have guarded at the last moment, though he is bleeding from the forehead, where the guard failed to reach in time.

“You call _that_ letting your guard down?”

Who are you talking to?

I’m providing a running commentary on the battle.

Okkaayyy...

I go on the offensive, confronting Olba at close range.

“Away from me, foul demon!”

“Whoa, Olba’s digging himself a major hole with his mouth. But this is turning into kind of weird battle. Are those guys really aware of who’s on whose side any longer?”

My eyes are darting to and fro.

I notice this out of the corner of my eye.

I make eye contact with the Devil King several times, a puzzled, indecisive look on my face whenever I do.

“Dahh...Guess there’s no excuse to make up for this.”

I bitterly resign myself to a long explanation after this battle.

“Heavenly Ice Dance!”

17.

I raise a magical barrier against this attack.

The completing forces produce a frigid tempest. Something resembling frost begins to rain down upon your wings.

“That ice has to power to freeze out magic, blocking its effects. Your speed has abandoned you!”

I slash my sword towards Lucifer. 12.

Your sword tears through Lucifer’s barrier, leaving a slash wound across his chest.

“Grraaaahhhh!!”

I attempt to keep away from my foe.

“Not so fast!”

I close the gap, using the debris the demons are keeping in the air as footholds.

“Ngh!”

I shoot out bolts of black flame in an attempt to keep her in check. _4_?!

I allow the flames to hit me, trusting my Cloth of the Dispeller to protect me.

It dashes them to embers before they can reach you.

I, meanwhile, am closing in on Olba.

Well that stands to reason, Olba’s built largely as a _support_ character. Him alone against a Great Demon General is nowhere near a fair match.

Olba devotes himself entirely to defence, looking to Lucifer for support.

Like I can really help right now! I have my own damn problems.

A loud roar echoes across the ground.

We all stop.

You all feel the sudden release of magical power accompanying the rumble.

“Satan...”

“Your Demonic Highness...”

Both myself and Emilia focus our gazes on the Devil King.

I respond with a contrived laugh.

“Ugh. That was so, so heavy. But I got it all down gently! So we’re all okay now! I rock!”

The rumble was the rubble hitting the ground, guided by the Devil King.

“So! I think now’s a good time for me to get involved.”

The cars, rumble and people in my magic barrier land softly on the ground.

“Let’s get this over with, okay? Besides...”

I flash a faint smile.

Olba collapses with fear again, yet still manages to remain in the air.

The look on my face is one of pure frustration.

Well, yeah we all can see that, why’d you say so.

My _character_ , dumbass!

“I’m gonna be late for work at this rate. I promised Chi I’d teach her how to do maintenance on the ice cream machine.”

I grin at Chiho.

This makes me blush despite myself.

“Right. Anyway. You guys. I had this wondrous plan for taking over the world, and you made me just stand by the side this whole battle like an idiot!”

I bring the full force of my glare upon the still-collapsed Olba.

The sheer force of your gaze is enough to send Olba flying into one of the fallen expressway panels, knocking him out cold and making an impression in the concrete.

“Pathetic! Pathetic, Olba!”

Howling with laughter, I don’t spend a single moment looking back at the archbishop. In the next instant, I stand before Lucifer.

“You... Your Demonic...”

I nervously back away from my former commander.

“You think calling me _that_ will please me at this point? Yo, Emi. What should we do with guy?”

I turn toward my mortal enemy, my expression one of sadistic glee.

I seem almost bored as I answer.

“Hmm, let me think... How about we make him take responsibility for messing up the city?”

“Good idea. Also, if I’m late for work, that’s on you, Lucifer, you got that?”

What?

“If this screws up my perfect-attendance record, what’re you gonna do about that? Huh? What the _hell_ are you gonna do about it?”

“Wh-what?! I don’t understand!!”

What happened to your _priorities_ while I away?

“Something the likes of us will never be able to understand, I fear...”

“In any event, I’ll be helping myself to your magic power.”

I have a gleeful grin on my face.

“We’ll take care of your punishment after that.”

I clang my knuckles against the midpoint of my blade.

...I gurgle helplessly.

“If you call yourself a Great Demon General, at least try to take it with some dignity!!”

With the Devil King’s shout, light and darkness thunder across Sasazuka.


	41. Chapter 41

“So, how do you plan to make up for this?”

You’re no longer in possession of your fallen angel form. You’re on your knees, as a fragile, weak human being, atop the asphalt road, rubble, and chunks of concrete scattered to and fro.

I, Lucifer, the Great Demon General who had turned the Western Continent of Ente Isla into an inferno of punishing hellfire, am upon my knees in front of the Hero and the Devil King.

That’s the current situation, yep.

On my knees in Sasazuka.

Yep.

In Tokyo.

Yep.

In Japan.

Yep, sounds kind of unbelievable when you put it that way, but the dice have spoken.

“I can hear the news guy now: ‘Due to a disaster of unprecidented proportions, the Shuto Expressway and Tokyo-Gaikan Expressway are impassible from Hatsudai to Chofu,’ et cetera, et cetera. Oh, and the Koshu-Kaido road. And the Keio rail line; that’s totally blocked just before Shinjuku. And, you know, I tried to be careful, but we might be dealing with some deaths here.”

Huh, say what you will about your players, but at least some of them at least acknowledge the amount of collateral damage they cause.

“It would be a bit of a miracle if there weren’t any, Your Demonic Highness.”

I am back in human form, completely unscathed, trying to keep my robes from falling off my body.

“But if it weren’t for your great powers, anyone in the cars caught up in the Shuto Expressway collapse wouldn’t have had a chance. The cars on Koshu-Kaido road, too. And it’s nothing short of a miracle that the nearby houses and such weren’t more badly damaged.”

“Yeah, well, people like us usually don’t start goin’ at it in this world. I bet at least a few people didn’t evacuate in time. I tried to make the magic barrier as large as I could manage, but who knows if I got everything covered under it...”

I remain silent.

“I have an idea. Why don’t we just hand this guy over to the cops? We could say he was some kind of terrorist bomber or something.”

“I was thinking that too, but... Like, maybe that’d cause a big furor to start out, but there’s no actual evidence at all, and plus, it’d be kinda pointless away. I bet the cops wouldn’t mind closing the book on that string of robberies, though.”

You people are really going to make me write up _prison_ scenarios?

“Yeah, I’m sure, but...I mean, what’re we gonna do about all _this_?”

“Beats me. Not like a Great Demon General drained of all his magical power is gonna help us much.”

What exactly makes you think I would’ve helped you _anyway_?

“Um...I-I guess this is kind of a silly thing to ask at this point...”

“What’s up, Chi?”

“Well, what...what _are_ all of you?”

We all exchange glances.

“Well...like, it’s kind of embarrassing to just put it out like this, but I’m the Devil King over in another world.”

I look seriously embarrassed.

I burst into laughter at the sight.

“Yeah, not that you believe it, huh?”

I wave my hands in the air nervously.

“Oh, no, no, no! I mean, I saw all of that...stuff you did, so. And that’s how you did all _that_ , too, right?”

I point at the people, debris and cars still frozen in time in the magical barrier.

“Yeah, more or less. But, you know, that much is pretty easy, so...”

“Your Demonic Highness, I know humility is considered a virtue in Japanese society, but you really shouldn’t be afraid to take more credit here.”

You are wielding fantastic magical powers in modern day Japan!

“These guys are all demons, keep in mind. Myself, I’m all human. Okay, half angel, but-”

This interjection makes me spasm with laughter again.

“Oh, come on, Chiho!”

“I-I’m sorry! It’s just so...goofy!”

Yeah, but what can you do?

“Wait, you’re half angel? ‘Cause that’s news to me.”

Yeah, since when was your character a nephilim?

You never told them about that?

I wasn’t just going to go shouting my backstory in middle of combat. The only people who knew were you and the GM. That said...

“What? How could you _not_ know? You’re the Devil King! Who did you think I _was_ the whole time?”

My laughing grows louder.

“I just thought that... Ha-ha-ha-ha! That angels and demons and stuff... They were all just these big made-up things, but...seeing you all...right here...”

My laughter causes me to choke on my own words.

I nervously slap you on the back several times.

“Well, look, Emi, you weren’t exactly sharing your personal info with me over there, right?”

Even you admitted it.

“I just thought you were, like, a really strong human, is all.”

“Oh, so you thought a regular human could just walk around with enough Holy Silver in her body to summon her sword?”

“...Guess not, huh? Well, _that_ sure explains a lot. I wondered how you could transform like that.”

“If you think _that_ was a shock, imagine finding you guys looking like _humans_ for the first time!... Breathing okay now, Chiho?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry.”

I bring my lips to Chiho’s ear.

“You see now? There’s nothing special at all between me and Maou, so quit worrying okay?”

“Y-Yusa...”

“You know, though...”

I furrow my brows.

“I guess it’s pointless asking now, but Emi, if you had that much power left, why didn’t you attack me before now? Like, until yesterday, you could’ve reduced me to a pile of ash anytime you wanted.”

“Oh, that?”

I shrug as if the idea means nothing to me.

“Well, a Devil King as cowardly as you are, you might have been pretending to be a weak, helpless human being until the moment you decided to bear your fangs, right? Plus, like I told you, even if I managed to defeat you, there’s no guarentee I’d have enough power left to control the Gate. That’s pretty much it.”

I nod my agreement. ...Wait, does that mean if you had just given up on returning home you could have utterly destroyed me at any moment?

Yep.

...But?

“I know I don’t act like it sometimes, but I’m a Hero. A leader. My people respected me. I can’t just prey on the weak and defenceless like that.”

“The weak and...? That’s kind of mean.”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, well, what about _now_ , huh? I got all my power back, and you used all of yours up! I could crush you like a bug! How about _them_ apples?”

I strike a battle pose.

I am unfazed.

“Oh, suuuuuuuuure.”

I grab Chiho hold her close to my side.

“Hey, Chiho, that guy’s using his ‘I have my power back’ crutch to try and pick on me.”

“...Really, Maou?”

I look honestly crestfallen.

I cringe, shielding my face against your sheer innocence.

“D-don’t look at me like that! I... There’s no _way_ I’d actually do it! I am the proud, noble king of the demons! When it’s time to fight, I fight fair and square! So stop looking all sad like that, Chi, okay? Also, that was _low_ , Emi!”

I sigh, looking sadder than Chiho as I watch my King trying to make excuses to a teenaged girl.

Are you okay? You look at little lost.

I _am_ lost! Very lost! What are you people even _doing_ right now?!

“What has _happened_ to all of you?”


	42. Chapter 42

In tandem, the Devil King and myself bring a foot down on your head for speaking out of turn.

But that wasn’t.... _fine_.

“Nnrgh!”

“Yeah, that reminds me, this guy comes before any of that. That and Sasazuka. What’re we gonna do?”

I look around at my surroundings.

I cross my arms in intense thought.

“As they say, You Demonic Highness, if you make a mess, it’s your job to clean it up. This world’s been very kind to us. Leaving it in chaos before returning home would make even a demon’s conscience feel guilty.”

That response couldn’t have been less demonlike. The mention of returning home makes my face stiffen.

“...So you are going back?”

“Of course we are. With my liege’s powers restored, we no longer have anything chaining us to Earth. Ente Isla is always our first and foremost target.”

“Going back? Back to your family, or...”

“Well, hang on. I’m signed up for a bunch of shifts this month, and…"

I slap you in the face.

“... _grnh_!”

“Your Demonic Highness, is part-time job at MgRonald more important to you than the conquest of Ente Isla?! Listen to me, my liege. I will grant you that without your hard work for Ms. Kisaki and the Hatagaya rail-station MgRonald, our time in Japan would have been far more difficult than it is was. But what possible value does a contract with the human race hold, one written without the benefit of demonic force behind if? I know we will both miss the thousand-yen hourly paycheck you were receiving-”

“Wow, a thousand yen at MgRonald? They must’ve _loved_ you.”

“You stay out of this, Emilia! Your Demonic Highness, how saddened would your former compatriots of the darkness be if they knew how apparently elated it makes the almighty Devil King to cook beef and pork and chicken and potatoes all day? I understand you have made a work promise to Ms. Sasaki here, one you are loath to break. But it is the very sadness, the negative emotion, from such a harmless young girl upon seeing this promise broken that we demons _thrive_ upon!”

“Hah! You think that bum’s work friend would be _that_ disappointed? Missing her big chance to learn how to clean the soft-serve machine?”

“Wait...what? You aren’t quitting, are you, Maou?”

“The one desire that drives us demons forward is the subjugation of Ente Isla. That is something I have repeated to you endless times since we were banished to Japan. We have a mission, and it simply must be completed! Your Demonic Highness, I beg you to show me your resolve. You must deal Lucifer his just punishment, settle matters with the weakened Hero Emilia, and bid final farewell to Sasazuka!”

...I don’t know how I feel about this. On one hand, them going back to the fantasy universe, saving me from having to somehow make Sasazuka exciting. On the other, I just got the party mostly back together!

“Man, I don’t remember you mouthing off at me that much as a demon... Okay, so how’re we gonna clean this up _and_ get back home?”

“We have done nothing wrong here, my liege. Your only responsibility as Devil King is to give Ms. Kisaki formal notice of your departure. It wouldn’t do to make her think you bailed out without telling anyone.”

“Aww...but we almost hit the top for regional sales for the last special promotion -”

“Enough about Hatagaya! You have another entire _world_ to be concerned about!”

“We only just bought that fridge, too. And the washer. _And_ my bike.”

“And you now have the power to navigate across the Gate, You Demonic Highness! You no longer have any _need_ for home appliances!”

“Um...so, what do you want from me?”

If it weren’t for the feet on my head, I could gotten up and walked away and none of you would have even noticed.

“Oh! Now that you mention it! Lucifer, were you the guy who called me up at work?”

“Uh, yeah...?”

I just had the GM to the talking for me, why?

“How did you find out where I worked?”

“Oh, yeah. You got, like, harassed at work, didn’t you?”

I lift my foot as I speak.

I gingerly turn my face upwards.

“Yeah I did! What was _that_ all about?!”

“That, uh... Well, you dropped this, Emilia, didn’t you? During the first attack?”

I take out a folding wallet illustrated with brown bears, white bear cubs and yellow birds.

“Ahhh!” My wallet!”

Did you specifically have me drop it so he could find it and contact me?

Maybe.

I snatch the decorated wallet from Lucifer’s hand.

“You had some kind of work ID in there, so I used that to track you down...”

“Oh, eww, Lucifer, you poked around inside a girl’s wallet?”

“Simply disgraceful. That could be grounds for a lawsuit in this day and age.”

There’s no need to look so disgusted. So I looked through something you left behind after an encounter, what exactly is _wrong_ with that?!

“You can’t just look inside people’s wallets like that. That’s _personal_.”

“I always knew you were a bad seed, Lucifer, but who could have known how depraved you truly were?”

_You too_?!

“Hey, Ashiya, what’s the name of that character on her wallet?”

“Um, Re...relax-a-Bear, or something like that? I’ve seen it quite a bit lately.”

My face contorts itself, as if I am showing pity for Emi.

Did the two of you really just decide the character that's on my wallet?

“Chiho carries around a Louis Videon wallet, you know. I don’t know if it’s fake or what, but _Videon_ , man. What’s this thing?”

“It’s _real_ , Maou! ...Uh, but I like Relax-a-Bear, too! He’s cute!”

“Just shut _up_ , you guys! I like that design! So what?”

I blush slightly as I look through the wallet’s contents.

“...Ahh!”

“Wh-what?! I didn’t take anything from it!”

“Then where’s my stamp card from Subwave?!”

Subwave? Okay, none of you have the right to bring MgRonald up anymore.

“That was a full card, too! I _hate_ you!”

Really, _this_ is what it took for you to hate me? Not burning your home village to ash and murdering your father, but using your Subwave card?

My face is shining bright red. Well, what’s your defence?

“I...I had never eaten a sandwich with ‘buffalo chicken’ inside of it before! I was merely curious!”

Is anyone here willing to reign this conversation in? …No?

“Erf, I feel sick... What the hell’s all this about? Why’s it all stopped?”

“Don’t ask me about thaaaat! It must be some kind of magical barrier!”

“Who’s that standin’ over there?”

“It looks like Emilia to me...”

“And who’s buried in that pile?”

“...That would be Olba.”

“And who’re those other guys?”

“Couldn’t saaaaay...”

Upon discovering the Church’s plot, Albert and Emeralda pursued Lucifer’s and Olba’s trial across the Gate, descending in this moment upon Sasazuka.


	43. Chapter 43

“So, what, you’re Satan? _That_ Satan?”

“And you’re his general, Alciel? Reeeeeeally?”

“Indeed. Cower in fear!”

I try to act the part, though I am confident these interlopers have no intention of fighting.

“Oh, stop being so siiilly!”

“Well, doesn’t this just beat everything, Emer? I ain’t got much strength left... Wasn’t planning on sizing up the Devil King some quickly and all.”

“You knoooow, I would advise against saying that in front of the enemy...”

“Yeah? Yeah. Well, whoops on me!”

Albert bares his teeth and laughs heartily, hand behind his head. Chiho the loud laughter makes you notice that this mans voice is familiar to you.

I point an accusatory finger at him.

“M-Maou! That’s the voice! The voice that talked to me in my brain!”

“Oh? Hey, little lady, did you pick up on my idea link?”

I don’t think this is helping with the fact that our conversation is so derailed that’s in danger of falling off the proverbial cliff.

“Listen! Listen, everyone. I know we’re all a little confused here, so let’s just calm down and talk things over so we’re on the same page. Let’s go back to your apartment, Alciel. We can’t just talk here amid all this rubble.”

“Ridiculous! I would never invite the Hero’s cohorts to the Devil’s Castle!”

“Nah, she’s right. We’re in an emergency, Ashiya; we need to be flexible. I’m kinda getting sick keeping this barrier going. Plus, it wouldn’t be a good idea to waste all my new power on fighting those guys.”

I nod ruefully. Finally, you’re making sense again.

...But what about Olba, buried under that rubble?”

“Leave him. He carried out all those robberies with Lucifer, right? The police’ll ID him and lock him up soon enough. You remember where it is, right, Emi? You go on ahead. Take Chi and these guys with you.”

I toss the apartment door key at you.

“Huh?”

“I’ll come over once I clean things up.”

“...You aren’t gonna jump back to Ente Isla, are you?”

“No, Emi! Your pals would chase right after me if I did. Just go, all right?”

My eyes are full of suspicion, but I nonetheless motion toward Chiho and the others as I begin to walk off.

“So what’s up with that? You folks gettin’ along now or what?”

“Emilia the Hero, making friends with the Devil King! Myyyy, wonders never cease!”

“I firmly deny that, and _only_ that, all right? Let’s get going.”

For a moment I turn back towards the Devil King before proceeding down a Sasazuka back alley with my heroic band.

I watch them go before speaking.

“And what to you intend, Your Demonic Highness?”

I point towards the Shuto Expressway.

“We can’t just leave it like that. Ashiya, Lucifer, help me out.”

I hesitate for a moment, but sigh with a resigned smile on my face.

I’m shocked.

“You, you don’t mean...”

“Mm-hmm. I know I just got my powers back, but...”

“But...but if you do that...!”

You’re really going to use up your magic fixing the city?!

Don’t bother mentioning his character alignment, I’m pretty sure he’s ignoring it at this point.

“...So be it. My liege has made his choice. I am bound to follow him.”

“...Can you at least tell me what has possessed you? You, and our lord, as well?”

“I cannot say, I find it difficult to understand myself.”

“You two mind knocking off the chitchat for me?”

“My apologies, Your Demonic Highness. Here you are.”

I give my hand to my king.

I take your hand.

“As the lord of demons, I must take responsibility for the actions of my minions. Whether it be Ente Isla or the MgRonald Corporation, that must always apply. I rule all that I see, and a ruler’s burden is a heavy one.”

I smile as I watch over the ruined Sasazuka.


	44. Chapter 44

The sight Villa Rosa Sasazuka is enough to make Emeralda and Albert blanch, as the structure is nowhere near the image one would conjure up upon hearing the words ‘Devil’s Castle’.

“Ermm...Emilia?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Emeralda. But that room over there, upstairs... That’s the Devil’s Castle, the lair of Satan himself. In Japan, anyway.”

“‘That room’? Just the one?”

“Yep. All the others are empty.”

The two newcomers fall silent for a moment. Suddenly, Emeralda claps her hands in realization.

“Ah! Of coooourse! They’ve disguised the exterior as a shoddy, cramped hovel, but once you step inside, you’re transported to another dimension, one that extends boundlessly across-”

“Nope. One hundred square feet. If I had to guess, it’s about half the size of the mountain shack you live in, Albert. No bath, either.”

“Eesh. Well, _that’s_ a disappointment.”

“And he still calls himself Devil Kiiiing?”

Both of them appear to struggle for words.

“Oh, I don’t know. If you ask me, this apartment really jives with the image I had of Maou, so...”

Ouch.

“You’ll see what I mean once we’re inside. Let’s go.”

I carefully ascend the stairway. 15. I open the door for the others.

13’s my roll for the stairs, before you ask.

Emeralda and Albert are at a loss for words.

“Um, so in Japan, the custom’s to take off your shoes before you enter someone’s home. So you can do that here...”

As I speak, I remove my shoes while standing in the foyer.

I follow suit.

Emeralda and Albert copy the motion.

“I’d take my old mountain shack over this heap any day. There ain’t even enough space to put up any traps!”

I’m pretty sure those stairs count as a deathtrap.

“Forget about traps. There isn’t even enough space for the bare minimum of furniture. Feel free to sit down wherever, I guess.”

“...Oh, um, I’ll go make some tea or something!”

I make my way over to the kitchen.

“Don’t bother, Chiho. They don’t have any teapots or cups or anything. The fridge and shelves are completely empty, too. I have no idea what they live off of.”

“Oh...?"

I turn towards you, a look of disbelief on my face.

“How do you know all of that, Yusa?”

“Oh, uh, the other day I st-”

Yes?

“The other day you...what, Yusa?”

“Um...well, this was total accident, but...”

You and your companions pick up on an enormous wave of magic.

“Hmm?”

“Oooh!”

“Um...is there something...?”

Emeralda and Albert glance at each other rather than answering Chiho.

“What was _thaaaat_ , just now?”

“One damned powerful wave of magical power, if I know it. Hey, Emilia, you sure we should really be trusting the Devil King and the rest?”

“I...think so.”

The strain is obvious in my voice.

“...Are you guys hiding something from me?”

I’m a bit put off by my questions being ignored.

There’s a sudden bang on the door.

“Yo! Emi, open up! We’re back!”

Me and my companions exchange looks, then look back at the door.

“...Shall I open it?”

Emeralda squints at the door.

“It’s kind of his place, innit?”

“Yes, but the _Devvvvil_ King’s place. To say nothing to of that unusual bolt of maaaagic...”

“Pfft. Whadda we got to be scared of? A Devil King that lives in this piddlin’ little pigsty? ‘Sides, if that magic was his, no way he’s got any of that stuff left. I could beat ‘im down inna blink of an eye.”

"Oh, thanks a _lot_ , Albert! Let’s see if you keep on saying that once you open the damn door!”

You can’t detect a single spark of magic from him, even though only a few think planks of plywood separate you.

“‘Open the door,’ hmm? You and what arrrrmy?”

“Just open up! I’m gonna call the landlord if you don’t!”

“Open the door for him, Albert.”

What, you don’t want another encounter with the landlord? Albert stands up reluctantly. 

“Why? What’s a ‘landlord’? That strong of a monster, or...?”

“Ohhh yeah. She’s _real_ strong. You try and cross her, and one look’s all it’ll take to crush you soul.”

Albert opens the door.

I lurch inside, supporting the limp, unresponsive Ashiya and Lucifer with both arms.

“Get outta my way. These guys’re heavy.”


	45. Chapter 45

I drag my companions inside, throwing them on the floor.

I gasp lightly as I realize Ashiya is apparently unconscious.

“Ah...uh...what happened to Ashiya?”

“Oh, nothing much. I squeezed all the magic out of him, he almost died, that sort of thing.”

Nice to see almost killing your most loyal general concerns you so greatly.

At least they’re actually _acknowledging you_. No one’s paid any mind to the fact that he just dumped what could very well be my lifeless corpse on the floor.

With a great sigh, I sit down and look at Albert and Emeralda.

“So. Guess we all know each other now. Why are you people here? Judging by the looks of things, you’re not here to kill me, at least.”

“Nope. Not really. Fact is, we had no inclination to even run into you. We just came to help out Emilia.”

Albert shrugs and turns his eye towards you, Emilia.

“Olba wasn’t the only one. The whole Churrrch was in on it.”

Emeradla is stern as she speaks, with both hands balled into fists.

“What?!”

Building up plot threads for future campaigns are we?

“The Church bishops all but bullied us into joinin’ their side. They had captured, their spies watchin’ us day and night. Took a lot of work to escape, lemme tell you.”

“They guaranteed our securrrrity as long as we didn’t do anything against them. They wanted me to retire out of court life in the Emmmmpire. That’s how scared they were, apparently, of their Hero and savior seizing political power.”

This story is high entertainment in my eyes.

“Yeah, that’s what you get from people who don’t lift a finger to actually _do_ anything. The demon world’s got you beat there. Total merit-based system, all the way down. You guys wanna be me my minions?”

Way to hijack the conversation there.

Emeralda sticks out her tongue at this attempt at scouting new talent.

“ _Thpbbt_! I’d never be the minion to someone _thiiis_ broke.”

Albert, meanwhile, sizes you up head to toe.

“You ain’t got enough muscle on you, boy. Anyone who wants to boss me around, well, he better be a damn level bigger than I am.”

Does he not know what I look like in my demon form? I’m certainly bigger than he is under those circumstances.

“So that’s all you two care about? Muscles and money?”

Your question goes unanswered.

“Okay, enough screwing around. So anyway, Emilia, we wanted to letcha know that danger was about to be on its way. We traced you and the Devil King’s path down to Japan pretty quick, too.”

“The problem, though, was that if we could you, Olba and the Church could, too. It was a race to see who could reach you firrrrst.”

Emeradla and Albert stare off into space, recalling the trials they went through to reach their Hero.

“We both fired a whole mess of sonar bolts. Pretty well caused a bunch of havoc in this world, too, I reckon. Did you have a lot of earthquakes and stuff?”

So you’re all having an exposition party while I’m lying passed out on the floor, nice.

Well it’s nothing I didn’t guess at so far.

“In that case, Albert, why did I hear your message?”

“Well, the idea link works by linkin’ up between people’s consciousnesses, so the sender can narrow down the range of folks he sends messages to. So when I sent out that message, I narrowed down the people receivin’ it to ‘human beings who think about nothing but the Devil King all day.’”

Nice job, revealing that to everyone.

“Wha...! That... I,uh..”

My face grows redder every moment I stammer.

“Oh, myyyy! Quite the player, aren’t you, Devil King?”

And that’s not helping. What’ve I done to make you want to taunt Chiho? With a groan, I faint in embarrassment, falling next to the collapsed Alciel.

“...Okay! So! What are you guys gonna do now?”

“Don’t ask me. We just came ‘cause we thought Olba and Lucifer were gonna do somethin’ to Emilia. We weren’t countin’ on the Devil King to be here, too.”

“Our general idea was to take Emilia back home and help Ente Isla realize who should _reeeeally_ be leading the recovery effort...but...”

Emeralda and Albert exchange glances.

“...but the Church’s probably got us all on their wanted list by now.”

“So, what you’re screwed anyway?”

“No, not necessarily. Remember, we still got part of the realm of heaven on our side.”

“Very much so! And this let us travel through the Gate without expending any hooooly power.”

Emeralda takes a feather pen out of her robe.

My eyes widen a stretch.

“Huh. Look at that. That’s the pen angels use when drawing rainbow bridges to other worlds, isn’t it?”

Why would you know anything about something like that? In character, I mean.

I learned about it under a mentor of mine.

Did he even _have_ a mentor who would know this sort of thing?

Yes, actually.

Alright then.

“H-hey! You can’t just show that to the Devil King!”

I shake my head at your frantic warning.

“Demon-realmers can’t use it. Quit worrying so much. That’s a gadget from heaven; only angels and people recognized by angels can wield it.”

“Oh... But, wait, why do you even _know_ about that?”

Emilia would totally ask this question, before anyone asks.

“I heard about it a while ago. So whose feather did you use for that pen? No, wait, let me guess. Laila, right?”

Oh, that’s gooood. That’s _reeeaaalllyyy_ good.

What’s good?

“Ooh, well done.”

“Don’t expect any priiiizes!”

Emeralda and Albert freely cop to it.

“Hah! That tomboy get away with something like that again?”

I smile to myself.

“She’s walkin’ on some danged thin ice up in heaven, I’d guess. Not that I know the details.”

“But honestly, who wouldn’t want to take action if they knew their daughter was in daaaanger?”

I blink at Emeralda’s words.

“Their...daughter?”

“Oh? Wait, you didn’t know, Emilia?”

“Yeah, she told us she was your mom.”

“I... Wow. For real?”

“ _That’s_ how you react, Emi?”

“Well, anyway, this’s all yours now. Any way you wanna use it, it’s up to you.”

Emeralda gives you the pen. It emits the same odd warmth when held that you felt while at Rika’s house.

“Oh, yeah, I got a message from her, too.”

“From my mother...?”

My heart skips a beat and my blood collects around my face.

“She said ‘Your father was a good man.’”

I roll my eyes.

“She...she didn’t have to tell me that _now_...”

“ _That’s_ what you have to tell your daughter?”

“So there you have it. The message, and the feather pen. So... When are you going back?”

“...What?”

“I ain’t askin’ for today or anythin’. I imagine you got assorted things to settle over here. But if you stuck around here too long, the Church’s gonna have their say over the whole bit. Sooner you can get home, the better, I’d reckon.”

I thought you didn’t want to give the party a reason to split up?

_I_ don’t. Unfortunately for me, this NPC _does_.

I find myself unable to respond.

“You knoooow, I’m not sure this is a conversation we should have in the Devil’s Castle...”

I turn to the Devil King.

“When...when’re you going back?”

“Uh?”

I blow my nose, tossing the tissue at the waste basket. 6.

You miss.

“What’re you talking about? I’m not going anywhere.”

My eyes grow as bug as saucers.

“Like, even if I did, I can’t now.”

I chuckle to myself.

“How much magic power did you think it took to bring that disaster area back to want it was before? You knew I built the whole Devil’s Castle on Ente Isla by myself, right?”


	46. Chapter 46

The Shuto Expressway forms a wide arc in the sky above you. The Koshu-Kaido road and the Sasazuka rail station are completely back to normal, though there is a lack of traffic whizzing to and fro. No battle damage remains on any of the nearby buildings. Dozens upon dozens of emergency vehicles were are stopped, but the police officers and paramedics seem to have no idea why they were deployed to the area.

We all gape at the sight.

There a few civilians here and there, who were no doubt caught up in the fight, but there are no deaths and no injuries.

“Uh... This what I think it is, Emilia?”

“Probably.”

Is this man _reeeally_ the Devil King?”

“He _should_ be.”

“So if we wanted to, we coulda...?”

“Could _you_ have done it?”

Albert responds with silence. Meanwhile, back at the apartment...

“When someone’s known for being evil all the time, you know... When he starts doing good things, it’s like the slate’s totally wiped clean.”

“Yes...”

“So I figured there was no way those guys would attack me.”

“Yes...”

“Whadaya think? I had it all worked out, huh?”

You’ve actually starting thinking about reasons why you’re not acting according to your character alignment?

“So, can we ever get back?”

“Well, off to work! I’ll still be on time if I leave now.”

Is that just the excuse your going to use to end every awkward conversation with me?

“Your Demonic Highness...”

“Oh, yeah. Tie up Lucifer for me, could you? I don’t want him doing anything weird.”

I can’t believe I’m _still_ unconscious.

You failed your recovery roll, that’s what happens.

“...Hey! Chiiiii... Chi, wake up! C’mom, you got a shift today!”

Since you refused to leave with Emilia.

I squirm face down on the floor.

“Nnngh... Albert, you’re such an idiot...”

I sigh, my face troubled to the core.

“Ugh... This is what you get when you mess around with heroes.”


	47. Chapter 47

Sales for your MgRonald today are beyond awful. Even though you wiped the memories of everyone in the area, they’re is still holding the nagging impression that something ominous just happened nearby.

I am in a bad mood all day, and never try to approach Maou.

“Hey, Chi?”

“...Yes?”

My voice is frigid.

“You know, with my power, I could erase all the bad memories... you... uh, have.”

My eyes well up the moment I hear you say this, to the point I look ready to break down crying at any moment.

“No thanks.”

“Huh?”

“You’re so _stupid_ , Maou!”

“Huuuuhh?”

Your obliviousness continues to amaze me. I turn my back to you.

“Thanks. See you next shift.”

Then I leave without a trace of hesitation.

Crestfallen, I mount my mighty steed Dullahan and set off for home.

I’m standing at the intersection where we first met.

I nod to you, but keep my distance.

I nod back.

“...Hey.”

“Oh, _that’s_ how you greet your mortal enemy?... Why’re you acting so downtrodden?”

I’m holding something behind my back.

“I’m not. It’s nothing. Why’re you out so late? If they cut the train schedule short tonight, you’re not sleeping at my place.”

“Then I’ll take a taxi home, okay? I’ve got my wallet back.”

“Man, look at Miss Moneybags here. You know the fares up 30 percent for late-night, right?”

I dismount from Dullahan and once again put my trusty steed between me and Emilia.

“So, what? You here to thank me, or...?”

“You didn’t do anything bad to Chiho, did you?”

I heave a sigh.

“I asked if I could erase her memories from today and yesterday. She called me stupid.”

“...Ugh.”

“Was that bad or something, you think? She hasn’t said a word to me since.”

I drop my shoulders.

You really are oblivious.

“Look, do you want to go back at all?”

“...Didn’t you already ask me that? Why’re you asking again? I’d be _more_ than happy to go back.”

“I see. Well, for now, at least, _I_ can go back anytime I want to.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t have to go on a wild-goose chase in search of holy power to control the Gate with, either.”

“Hey, come on-”

“I can just keep going with my job and pop back home whenever I feel like it...but...”

My face sours as I come to the _but_.

“...but I’m still worried. As long as the Devil King is alive, I still need to step up, to be the Hero for everyone. And as long as you’re staying here, I’m duty-bound to keep pursuing you.”

“Yeah, well, you can feel free to drop that anytime you want. I won’t complain.

“You might try to plot something with Lucifer and Alciel again. So unless you give up on Ente Isla or I defeat you first, I can’t go back.”

“...So you’re staying here? Even though you’re totally free to go?”

The GM must be happy about that.

“I don’t really care what the archbishops and so on think about me over there, and it’d be kind of mean to just disappear from my friends’ lives over here.”

“Do your war mates accept that?”

“They understand. How I can't just let the Devil King roam free. So Albert and Emeralda are going to support me from the other side. They’ll send me a way to replenish my holy force so I can keep it charged over here.”

“‘Roam free’? What am I, a lion from the zoo?”

“You _are_ a monster.”

“Yeah, uh...yeah”

Okay, you have me on that one.

“So, what, then? I’m pretty much totally out of magic force. You gonna take me on right now?”

I laugh you off.

"How many times do I have to say it? I am a Hero. Once I get the chance to pulverize you, fair and square, at your full power, I’m taking it.”

“So what did you ambush me here for again? How does telling me _that_ help you at all?”

My face is suddenly troubled once more.

“Well...um. You know. That was a freebie, all right? A freebie. You just got vital intel o your enemy for free. I don’t wanna hear you complaining about it.”

“Uh, sure, but if that was a freebie, what’s the _real_ reason you’re here for?”

“Mngh...”

I appear to be trying my hardest to say something. I bring my hands to the forefront. I’m gripping an umbrella, which I thrust at you.

“An...umbrella? Wha?”

“I...you know, I threw out the one I borrowed from you right? I thought that was...kind of mean of me, so..”

So you’re repaying for the umbrella I lent you? Thanks.

“Now let me just say one thing! All I’m doing is repaying your favour! Borrowing an umbrella from you is a deep, deep wound to my personal virtue and honour! One that will never heal in thousands of years! But letting any favour go undone would be an even greater blemish upon my reputation! That _it_!”

Ah, good-aligned characters.

I jab the edge of your nose several times with the handle of the umbrella.

“So just _take_ it! This thing’s getting heavy!”

“Uh...sure.”

I take the handle.

I drop my end, all but throwing the umbrella at you. It was a firm, weighted wooden grip. The fabric is think and shiny, and the ribs feel reinforced and durable beneath it. It is a simple charcoal-grey in colour.

“Hey, isn’t this expensive?”

“You are _such_ a thick Devil King. Is _that_ all you can think of? Five thousand yen or so isn’t something someone of your age should be sweating about!”

I’m shocked into silence for a moment.

“F-five...?! You spent five thousand on some stupid umbrella?! I mean, I just gave you one I found hanging off a mailbox!”

“I don’t care! Shut up! I just couldn’t stand seeing my eternal nemesis going around with some half-broken piece of crap all day! If you call yourself Devil King, you could at least try to act the part a little!”

“Uh...yeah. Good point. But...still, five thousand huh? Wow. Funny to think this is even in the same category as the junk I was using. Mind if I take off the wrapping?”

“I _gave_ it to you. Do whatever you want!”

I have my back turned to you, my arms crossed disgustedly.

I carefully remove the tape and neatly fold the wrapping paper before putting it in my pocket. Then I open my new umbrella.

“Whoa! It’s huge! Looks really sturdy, too! Now this is what I call an umbrella!”

My excitement is sincere as I look on in wonderment.

“...Well, that’s all I needed to do.”

I turn away from you.

I call back to you.

“Oh? Well, thanks! Sorry for the trouble.”

I turn back around.

“I almost forgot.”

“Hmm? Forgot what?”

A smile crosses my lips.

“Try to patch things up with Chiho, all right?”

I was not expecting to hear that from you. My eyes light up in surprise and I am unable to answer.

I smile again, and turn around once more.

“See you later.”

I head for home.

So do I.


	48. Chapter 48

“Oh, good evening, Your Demonic Highness! I’ve prepared some egg pancakes for dinner.”

“You could at least call it an omelet. I don’t care if you lie to me.”

My eyebrows twitch at the sight of the umbrella in your hands.

“It’s a gift, okay? A gift! I didn’t use any money!” 

“A gift? My liege, you have a benefactor willing to give you such a fancy umbrella?”

“If you’re being sarcastic, Ashiya, then zip it! It’s one of those... you know, ‘what goes around comes around’ things, right?”

I prop the umbrella against the wall of the front foyer. Then I look up.

I’m staring at you sullenly, kneeling in the corner and eating some fried eggs.

What put of ‘tie him up’ included feeding him?

You weren’t here for the whining.

“You got any place to go, or...?”

“...If I did, I wouldn’t be eating fried eggs in this dump, would I?”

“Probably not. Come to think of it, you’re a wanted man in Japan, aren’t you?”

Well, yes, but here I was thinking we’d be going back to Ente Isla, so it wouldn’t be a damn _problem_.

“Hey, let me ask you something. How did you find your way into Emi’s workplace? Like, into her phone line?”

“...What?”

I blink in puzzlement.

“‘Cause depending on how you did it, we might be able to use that for something. You help me get my power back, I’ll help you in return. How ‘bout it?”


	49. Chapter 49

Well, this campaign seems like it’s just about wrapped up. Does anyone have any last scenes they wanna do before we call this quits?

Well, let me know next time you plan to run a campaign in this universe, I’ll totally join in.

I feel like Maou would totally try to confront the landlord.

You and Ashiya go to the landlady’s abode the day after the battle, only to find her absent. A note on the door details the fact that she has gone on an extended visit overseas.

Well you’re no fun.

Anything else?

Well, we might as well do a few more scenes on the day after the battle, just to wrap things up completely.

Alright, mind if we start in your workplace?

Not at all.

“Mornin’, Emi! Hope nothing had happens today, huh?”

I look straight at Rika and explain that I got in an accident the day before and ruined the blouse she loaned to me.

Are you okay with having your character still being in the dark about everything?

Hey, I like a challenge, and roleplaying a character in the dark about the fantastic things going on around her is a challenge, if nothing else.

You're also expecting that I’ll give you a lot experience for roleplaying this well, aren’t you?

Oh, yes. I let out a wry laugh, completely unfazed by your story.

“Ooh, you’re right. I can still see a couple bruises on you. I tell you, Emi, it’s a miracle you aren’t dead yet! Well, that blouse was pretty worn out anyway, so you don’t have to worry about it. Although, if you really wanted to make it up to me, you could keep me company while I stand in line for lunch, huh?”

With a laugh, I pat you on the shoulder. We chat for a bit for our work shift starts.

An incoming call suddenly arrives at your station.

That seems very ominous, given you’re the one announcing it.

“Thank you for your patience! This is Yusa from the Dokodemo customer-”

“Whoa! Dang it actually connected!”

“...Uh?”

“Yo! Emi! Can you hear me?”

“Kkhhh-”

I groan through my teeth as the blood flows into my head.

“Man, I had no idea you could really aim at people like that. This is gonna be a lot more useful than I thought!”

“Look, what are you doing?! I’m _work_ right now!”

“Aww, calm down. It’s just an experiment.”

“What _kind_ of experiment?!”

“Hackin’.”

“Ha... What?”

“I mean, like, Urushihara got himself directly connected to your booth ‘cause he went to an Internet café and hacked into your company’s main computer. So I figured if we had a PC at home, we could do a lot more than that... so I made the first big purchase of my life! Monthly instalments on my credit card, baby!”

I can feel my heartbeat thud against both my temples.

“There’s a lot I'd like to ask you, but first, who the hell is Urushihara?!”

Given the descriptions of what this Urushihara person has done, I’d assume it’s me.

“Oh, I mean Lucifer. He’s, like, a total whiz with computers.”

“Well, great! Fine! So what do you want?!”

“Oh, I just thought it would be safer if I tried it with someone I was pretty familiar with, so... Sorry to bother you!”

I slam my hand down on my desk.

“Someone you’re _pretty familiar_ with?! Don’t give me that BS! Why do I have to be your-”

“Oh, chill out! You’re the only girl who could ever take me on! I’d call that ‘familiar’ enough, y’know? Sorry! Anyway, later!”

Having said my fill, I hang up.

I groan.

“Uh... What’s wrong, Emi?”

“ _Nothing_!!”

Your screech is enough to unnerve the entire office. You mind if we follow up with the interlopers.

Go ahead.

“Man, that was _awesome_! Anyway, I gotta go to work, so try and get used to that PC a little more in the meantime, okay, Urushihara?”

What’s his full name anyway?

Uh, ...Hanzo Urushihara?

Any objections?

No. What’s the specs on the computer he got anyway?

Have a look.

“...This piece of crap?”

The OS on this thing is two versions behind the times!

“Hey, I bought that for _you_ , okay? You should be glad I got same-day activation on that Internet line, too! How much do you think that cost me?”

“I thought they gave you a discount on net service once you bought the hardware! They didn’t give you any of that?”

“Hey, stop whining once you’re not wanted for robbery, okay? If you want a brand-new PC, then how ‘bout finding a way to recharge my magic power first? Then you’ll have the time to clear your name _and_ work for one.”

“This is ridiculous. Why must I be bound to the laws of these mere humans?”

I glance at Ashiya and then laugh at your whining.

I do likewise.

“Remember when _we_ said stuff like that?”

“Indeed. Seems like such an oddly long time ago, doesn’t it?”

Suddenly my eyes dart to the clock on the wall.

“Your Demonic Highness! It’s time for work!”

I bow to you as I open the door.

“Hey, I’m getting sick of those black-pepper fries, okay? Bring something different home with you!”

“I will be preparing egg-drop soup for dinner tonight. Be safe on your bicycle!”

Does this seem like a good stopping point for anyone else?

Well, I have to say, this went a lot better than I thought it would. The party’s all together, more or less, when it started split nine ways to Sunday. Even better, I actually have some ideas for plots for future campaigns in this universe, that I’m actually looking forward to doing!


End file.
